Be Bothered For Them

I feel like I need to publicly apologize to the lady in the checkout line. There she was minding her own business, just trying to get a few groceries when we got in line behind her. Going to the store with little kids is always an adventure and really it’s the best workout I do. I was relieved to be done shopping and to have everyone semi-patiently standing in one spot while we waited for our turn to pay. But if I wasn’t sweating when I stepped into the checkout line, I was the moment my son opened his mouth. He leaned over to me and with a whisper that only seems quiet to a small boy he said, “Mom!! Mom!! Does she love Jesus?” While I don’t want to discourage our kids from evangelism, we may have to work on their approach a little bit. I tried to brush him off to avoid embarrassing us all, but he would have none of it. “Mom!! Does she??” I finally whispered back a quick “I don’t know buddy” and tried to hush him, hoping that was the end of it. It wasn’t. Thankfully she was very gracious and responded with “I do! I love Jesus!”

I love that they want people to know Jesus. I love that they’re not ashamed to share the good news with anyone who will listen, and I have so much to learn from them.

I’ll never forget sitting in the chapel at our Bible camp as a high schooler listening to the evangelist speaking about reaching people for Jesus. I remember his passion when he said “It should bother you that your friends don’t know Jesus. It should bother you that your neighbors and coworkers don’t know Jesus.” And the truth is, it did. It bothered me that I came into contact with people every day who didn’t know Jesus. It bothered me that I knew they were lost and hopeless.

But I couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it.

I was already a decently awkward human being and it only got worse when I tried to talk about my faith. I got nervous, tongue tied and nothing I said seemed to make sense. I was worried about offending them, scared they’d get mad at me or shut me down. So while it bothered me, I couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it.

But if we’re not bothered for them who will be? If we don’t go out of our way to share the gospel who will?

That cashier who bags your groceries every week, making pleasant small talk but never really seems happy? They need someone to be bothered for them.

Your neighbor who always gives you a friendly wave when they pull into their drive but has never darkened the door of a church? He needs someone to be bothered for him.

Or the bank teller.

Or the teacher.

The kid at the playground.

The widow down the street.

They don’t know Jesus and they need someone to be bothered for them. 

I probably still fall into the awkward human category. My words aren’t polished and I’m not bold like the people who can strike up a conversation about Jesus with anyone they come in contact with. But I’m the one who has been placed within their reach. I’m the one in their sphere of influence. And I want to be bothered for them. I want to put aside my own comfort and my own fears and do what it takes to make sure they know that there is more. To make sure that they know they are dearly loved. That they are precious to the only one who can truly make them whole.

We don’t have to have the perfect words or be able to quote a thousand scriptures. We just need to be willing.

 We need to be bothered for them like someone was for us.

Because if we won’t, who will?