Thank you Mr E:
Different strokes yes, I hate to get an assignment and feel I flunked it because I didn't have the "stuff" to prove something. Yet sometimes maybe something happened I have no knowledge of. Sure it could be wishful thinking on my part. The Lord lines things up that we meet these people sometimes and I may not feel qualified to be the person talking with them, yet these conversations go on and on until they no longer do. I only have me and what the Lord can do through me fully empied of me, yet I still feel as if it just isn't happening.
Could it be that the Lord uses various means in order to take the attention off of ourselves and give Him all the glory? Yet I hear people say they won so many souls to the Lord. And how does a person feel when a person does come to the Lord directly of their own intervention?
Who does the one who was won thank?
Do we think, wow the Lord finally used me for something or do we feel honored to have been used in such a way. All the glory goes to him.
I believe the true ones used to lead others to the Lord don't even think about where the focus is, they are simply more than glad a sinner came to Christ. In no case does a person ever come to the Lord without strong spiritual intervention and in no case will our efforts alone ever do it.
It's a case-by-case thing for me, Starise. I try not to be overly wordy or long-winded, but I do whatever I think is called for in any one particular case. But always, at least intention-wise, in the fruit (singular) of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) and according to the Law of Christ, which is fulfilled by bearing one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2).
Like you, I think for me it is more that last category (the Word internalized), which, I think as we spend more and more time in the Word ~ with Jesus ~ becomes more and more the case... God, by His Spirit, makes us more and more like Jesus. God makes us what He wants us to be, so it is formative in that respect. And... to God be the glory for that.
Grace and peace to you!
Glad to see someone similar to myself @PinSeeker . I have poured myself out in prayer and asked to be used only to feel completely ineffective. I do my best under those circumstances. I know it falls short and sometimes it's like fishing on a day when the fish just aren't biting. I find myself asking what's going on? Then I overthink it, like do I have unconfessed sin? Are my motives all wrong? I'm just supposed to fish, I guess?, with no feedback of any kind for as long as I am called to do so. Sometimes I get a bite, but it seems someone else always catches the fish. Thrilling isn't it?
Depending on how you see all of this, we could instead be helping to drive the nails into the coffins of the unrepentant unbelievers. I would much rather see a win, even if it isn't something I enjoyed taking direct part in after much labor. Surely not as rewarding giving the fisherman the bait, but worth it if even one comes to Christ.
A common Christian catch phrase, " sowing the seed". It seems 99% of us are seed sowers. From a skeptical viewpoint how do we know anything even came of any of it? From a believer's standpoint if we are used, it had some value to the one who sent us. We may never see it. In this time of scoffers and unbelief it feels as if we're going against the current and the boat is getting nowhere. If the ROI on this expenditure is an indicator we may be miserably disappointed.
The hardest part of this is getting personally invested in an unbeliever thinking I might have some impact because I really care for them, only to be disguarded like an old sock after much prayer, good intention and effort in Him. Where is the bounty?
