As a Chaplain, I have the unique ability to minister to those outside a church. In my
ministry, I have multiple passions, such as teaching and preaching the word, but overall I love to
provide services to those in need. Outreach is the primary way I give back to the community. I
believe it is more important to show someone how much you care than to say it. Over the past
two weeks, at a food drive my church participated in, I met a friend who admitted that he was not
a believer but wanted help because he had lost everything. We experienced many people who are
nonbelievers when they approach us. The gentlemen, like some, lost faith in Christ and
considered themselves nonbelievers because their lives turned for the worse.
Part ONE
During our food drives, we have a moment of prayer before eating and conversing with
those receiving help. The prayer allows us as believers to remember that our goal is to become
more like Christ daily and inform the nonbelievers that we are helping them because they want
us to help them. Many agree that the top three basic needs are food/ water, clothes, and shelter.
My church provides that for them because it is crucial to show the nonbelievers that we are there
to serve them. Providing the gentlemen I met with the basics was my way of proving to him that
I was there to help him and we can do all thing through Christ (Phil. 4:13).
Part TWO
Most people who receive help from our church are either in awe or hesitant. The
gentleman was in awe that people in this world still care about humanity. The gentleman has
been through a lot and feels that everyone around him has abandoned him. He admitted that that
abandonment turned him bitter, which led to resentment towards other people.
Part THREE
After the gentleman’s admission, I felt compelled to counsel him at the moment. Spiritual
counseling is one of my many duties as a Chaplain. I first let the gentlemen know that being with
us today was not an accident. Christ works in mysterious ways, and every challenge you face can
and will be overcome when you let Christ lead the way. I then read 2 Peter 3:9 to him, which
states, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward
you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Although it may
seem like Christ is near us, we must always understand that he is always working in our favor.
The gentlemen appreciated my words of wisdom, and I gratefully accepted his appreciation.
Part FOUR
I feel at my best when I have the opportunity to serve others. Servant Evangelism is the
best way to prove the power of God. In life, I have learned that people do not always care what
you know until you show how much you care. It is not enough to attend church or teach weekly
Bible study classes. If we want to introduce the power of Christ to nonbelievers, we must first
show them how Christ works within ourselves. Christ wants everyone to enter into a life-
changing relationship with Him.1 Many people believe what they see, so it is important to show
them how great our Lord and savior can be for them.
Bibliography
1 Will McRaney, The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture (Nashville, TN: Broadman
& Holman, 2003), 99.
