Tell others About Jesus?

By By Chester Callan
    I received a letter recently from one of the inmates I correspond with in the state penal system.  He asked me a question that has been on my mind ever since I received the letter.  “Why at many times Christians never introduce another person to Christ?”  Now this may not demonstrate the greatest syntax, but it does ask a poignant question.   This was written by a man who is in prison for the rest of his life, no parole.  He has expressed a desire to be baptized, but the prison authorities will not allow it at this time.  He has been studying the Bible and has come to the knowledge that he needs to change his life and become a Christian.  He seems to be asking the question,  “Why have I not heard about this before?”  It reminds me of the song: “You met me day by day and knew I was a-stray, yet never mentioned Him to me.”  (By James Rowe & J.W. Gaines)  Try to imagine what a difference it might have made in this inmate’s life if he had known about Jesus before he committed himself to life in prison.
    John in his story of Jesus has this to say about the apostles:  “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.  The first thing Andrew did was find his brother Simon and tell him ‘We have found the Messiah.’”  (John 1:40-41)  How wonderful it would be if we all had the excitement of Andrew, when he learned about Jesus.
    Of course it comes down to opportunity, ability, and circumstances when I consider how I am going to answer this question.  Can I protest that the subject just never came up, or I just never felt competent enough to answer any question that might arise?   Perhaps I just felt that if I set a good example, went to church every Sunday and help along the way, then they would get the message.  Yes, rationalization can remove stripes from zebras and spots from leopards, but does it remove guilt from our lack of inaction?
    It would appear from the parable of the talents, that we all have different abilities, and as a result God has different expectations of each of us based on our abilities.  We are not all gifted with the ability to lead an in-depth discussion on varied bible subjects, but we all have the ability to tell others of the joy we have found in Christ and His salvation.  We can invite others to our services, distribute bible tracks and lead the way by the life we live in Christ Jesus.  I have no doubt that there is room for improvement in my life in telling others about Christ, what do you think about yourself?
 - C. M.Callan serves as an elder of the Church of Christ in Rotan, TX. He may be contacted at drcall@sbcglobal.net