The Rest of the Story

Oh God, help us all to become a Linda Hughes.

To receive any degree from Liberty University you are required to take a certain amount of “Bible Electives” They are courses such as New Testament, Old Testament, Theology, Evangelism, or others. It does not matter if your major is Business, Law, Nursing, Psychology, Aeronautics, Engineering or whatever, you are still required to take a certain amount of these electives before receiving a degree.

For several years it has been my privilege to instruct Theology which is one of the approved electives. As indicated above. most of my students are non-Biblical majors.

Today, I was reading a discussion by a law student in my class by the name of Rachell. The two questions asked in the assignment centered around how the Gospel has impacted our lives. Her response was marvelous, so good that I asked her if I could share it on social media. It spoke to me as a Christ follower, and I think to the church on how evangelism should be executed. Read Rachell’s thread below.

How does a fuller view of the implications of the gospel affect how you live out your life?

“For me, I try to remember being an atheist and searching for something. I would look to people within the church, trying to find a glimpse of something I needed in my life. However, more often than not, I did not see what I was looking for. Then a woman named Linda Hughes came into my life. She is one of the most loving people one could meet. She spoke with me and asked why I turned away from God all those years ago. I explained to her the paths I had chosen and why. She said, “Oh baby girl” you are just in the wilderness,” and “just because you have given up on God does not mean he has given up on you” (Hughes, 2010). I looked at her in shock. Linda went on to tell me how loved I am, and that God is a gentleman and will not force himself into my life. I still wanted nothing to do with God. However, Linda was persistent and would call me to say God laid you on my heart, may I pray with you. She always seemed to know when I needed a friend in my life. Therefore, I found what I was searching for because Linda showed love with no judgment. She never once condemned me for my beliefs. She only talked about God’s love and how he loved me. Linda is an exemplary example of someone whose actions and words line up with biblical principles. She wants people to know God and shares the gospel with them in a loving manner with no judgment. So, I try to live by example and show love where others may not.”

How can you more effectively communicate the gospel as something that is not just about a point in time (i.e. a prayer for salvation), but also a life that is lived that reflects the gospel?

“We live in a time where communicating the gospel has become a taboo subject. More and more people have turned away from Christianity and churches. Also, Christians have remained silent as more and more of their rights have become infringed upon. Christians are now the silent majority.

The most effective way to communicate the gospel is through showing kindness, love, and compassion as Jesus did. I believe that the judgment of others that comes from Christians turns people away from God. Furthermore, some of the hateful rhetoric that Christians can spew further turns people away. My oldest son works in a restaurant and dreads working Sundays or Wednesday nights because the church crowd is the most hateful group of people. If we as Christians cannot display the most fundamental commandment given by Jesus to love one another (Matthew 22:39, NIV), how can we bring anyone to the Lord? My mother and father taught me that actions speak louder than words. Therefore, as Christians, our actions should match our words. You can talk to people all day long about the Bible, but if your actions do not line up, it is nothing more than words spoken. So, as Christians, I believe it is necessary to lead by example.”

Oh God, help us all to become a Linda Hughes

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