The late John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard movement once stated that before he became a Christian, he’d never actually met any Christians. This was quite surprising since he grew up in the heart of the Bible belt. In his testimony Mr. Wimber further clarifies his statement by adding, “… at least if I had met any Christians, they’d done a really good job of not blowing their cover.”
Shortly after becoming a Christian, Mr. Wimber decided that if he was going to be a Christian then he was going to be an “all in” believer. By his own admission he became a self-proclaimed, “fool for Christ.”
My small group has been studying the teachings of John Wimber through a series of DVDs. It’s been during these teachings I’ve found myself questioning my walk with Christ. I hope that when I meet people for the first time they’re able to instantly identify me as a Christian. That’s a tall order though since I tend to be a bit socially awkward at times, leaning towards the shy, prefers-to-remain-invisible type. I worry that because of my introverted nature my tendency is to be too close-mouthed when it comes to sharing my faith.
My introverted nature clearly means I’m not a full-fledged fool for Christ yet. I still have days when I’m not completely “all in,” mainly because to be “all-in” implies that I’ve got it all together, which I do not. That seems to be most evident whenever I get behind the wheel of my car. Something seems to come over me that causes me to lose my Christianity whenever I encounter vehicular incompetency. Sigh ~ I’m still a work in progress … but hey, aren’t most of us?
It would seem that even in our walk with Jesus we need to strike a harmonious balance. Being so secretive about our spirituality so that no one identifies us as a Christian does nothing to further the kingdom of Christ. Yet being so overly zealous as to be an “in-your-Face-Bible-thumper-going-to-get-you-saved-or-die-trying religious fanatic” can be a detriment that ultimately pushes people farther away from God than ever.
We must find a way to balance the scale of Christian witnessing in order to positively influence people and love them into the Kingdom of Christ.
What about you? Where do you fall on the witness scale? If you were to die tomorrow would people say, “Oh, I never knew she was a Christian.” OR would they say, “Man … she sure loved Jesus!”
I know where I am right now, is not where I want to stay with my witness for Christ. I want to be “all-in,” but perhaps for right now I’ll rest in knowing that Jesus loves me “all-introverted.”
Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. 1 Corinthians 4:10 (NLT)
Blessings in Christ,
Kathy K.
I’m in the same boat, Kathy, praying I can be more bold about sharing my faith.
I used to be a “non”-Christian driver but I took the KLOVE 30-day challenge to listen to Christian music and I am hooked. It really helps me check myself and my road ethics if you will. For sure I agree with you and I do want people to say “Man … she sure loved Jesus!”