October 09, 2022
Daily Devotion:
"Care for the Lost"
Acts 26:28
New International Version
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
Some wit has quipped, "Never try to teach a pig to fly. It wastes your time, and annoys the pig." More seriously, Jesus once sent out his disciples with strict instructions, "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town" (Matthew 10:14). If you have ever tried to lead some unbeliever to Christ, you may have experienced the kind of close-mindedness that makes you think you are wasting your time. Maybe (as with Jesus teaching a reluctant Nicodemus) you have planted a seed that in time will bear fruit. But with some folks it is also possible to beat your head against the wall for nothing. With so little time to reach so many lost, surely God wants us to be good stewards of our time. Yet How are we to know how much time is too much or too little?
Although Agrippa suggests that with more time he might be persuaded to become a Christian, he appears to be making excuses for not seriously responding to the gospel. Were it solely a matter of time, Agrippa easily could have arranged for further conversation with Paul. Perhaps that is a helpful clue for us today. Is the door left open for further discussion, or has it been slammed shut? Rarely is time the issue, only receptivity. For most of us, of course, the problem is not whether doors are open or closed. How can we know how firmly the door is shut when we never even knock? More often than not, the important question relevant to time spent in evangelism is quite the reverse. In the brief time you and I have consciously given to evangelism, can we possibly persuade anyone to be a Christian?
The timely question is: Among all the activities that keep me busy, how much time have I spent to save even one lost soul?
