It’s easy to stop a good habit. Distractions, low motivation, laziness, disobedience are enemies. One habit I had was knocking on doors. I allowed other things to crowd it out.
A spiritual leader asked if I would take a Hispanic, church-planting pastor and knock on doors with him in an area where Spanish speaking people live. I agreed!
We knocked on our first door. A lady answered. She had this “deer in the headlights” look. I thought–why am I doing this? Catching my breadth, I said we were enjoying the beautiful day and asked if she had any personal or family items to pray about.
We prayed out loud that her stints would be effective, which she appreciated. Later, as trust increased, she said a friend often invited her to church.
“Let me show you something that changed my life,” I said. My friend noticed a Spanish guy standing in the driveway next door. He left me and went over to speak in Spanish with him. I shared the Three Circles—brokenness, God’s design and Gospel. Guess what? Both individuals trusted Christ as Savior.
Why did I stop prayer knocking and miss the blessing? You don’t have to prayer knock but God may want you to share the gospel with co-worker, neighbor, parent, grandparent, or friend.
Consider these insights from John 10:7-16:
- Share the gospel of Christ since real sheep listen to Him. Benefit to sheep: protection from destroyed life (vs. 7-10a)
- Follow example of Jesus as good shepherd to lay down your life for the sheep. Benefit to sheep: protection from false teaching (vs. 11-13)
- Know the sheep through dialogue. Benefit to sheep: protection from inauthentic relationships (vs. 14-15)
In summary: Find the sheep outside the sheep pen (v. 16).
Those who follow the Good Shepherd in leaving the 99 and finding the lost one will have an abundant and meaningful life (Luke 15:3-7; John 10:10b).
I often took John 10:10 out of context looking at personal blessing apart from finding the lost or losing my life to find it (John 12:23-26).
