I had a very sad conversation today with an older lady. Someone that many people in her church would consider to be a rock.
The topic was evangelism. She told me that she felt like she couldn’t be involved in that with any integrity. She just couldn’t talk to other people about Jesus.
When she was younger, she had given herself to God and the church with lots of enthusiasm. In her own words, she had been very committed.
Now, she felt different. She no longer believed that the bible was God’s word. She had decided a while ago that she would ‘follow God very slowly, and from a distance.’
What had happened to change her mind? When she was younger, she ‘expected more from this whole Christian thing.’ What more? ‘Gifts of the Spirit that were more obvious; or a major ministry, or…. ‘
I was floored, and deeply saddened. I wondered what had given her those expectations at the start. Maybe a case of expecting to walk by sight, rather than by faith.
She will be in my prayers.
In Anticipation 