Where's your urgency?

"So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him." John 4:28-30

While on a five minute break from a running class I attended Sunday, I headed to the hotel lobby to call home. Before I could complete the call though, my eyes were glued to the reporter on the flat screen broadcasting the news of the mass shootings in Orlando-50 people dead and 53 more wounded by a shooter declaring his allegiance to ISIS. As I struggled to digest the horrifying news, I was overcome with a deep sadness and a renewed sense of urgency to share Christ with the world. Perhaps if someone had told this gunman about Jesus this never would have happened? While we will never know the answer to that question, the bible does makes it crystal clear (Matthew 28:16-20) that you and I are to tell others about Christ. 

The book of John tells the story of a Samaritan woman who, while drawing water at the well met Jesus. And after Jesus revealed to her that he was the long awaited Messiah, (I love this part) "the woman left her water jar and went away into town" telling everyone what she had just heard. Did you notice that she didn't take the jar home first or take the time to put it away in a safe spot? She felt a sense of urgency so strong that she left it behind to do something more important... bring others back to the well, to Jesus. And because of her bold and immediate response, "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him.." (v.39)  I wonder, would you and I have done the same thing? If the answer was no, where is your sense of urgency?

In the words of Billy Graham, "The Evangelistic Harvest is always urgent. The destiny of men and of nations is always being decided. Every generation is strategic. We are not responsible for the past generation, and we cannot bear the full responsibility for the next one; but we do have our generation. God will hold us responsible as to how well we fulfill our responsibilities to this age and take advantage of our opportunities."

Heavenly Father, thank you for your gift of eternal life free to all those who believe. Help us to be bold believers in an unbelieving world as we step out to offer that gift to others that they might know the peace, love and joy that is found only in you. Let us not miss a single opportunity to share Christ through our actions and our words. And may we be willing to leave it all behind to lead others back to the well and back to you. It's in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!!!

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At the well - Casting Crowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW5unzXXC0k