Saturday, May 14, 2011

Discernment & Street Reality - Trisha Ramos with Kristen Rasor

No doubt you have been to the zoo, or some place like it, and seen a pack of wolves. In that setting they look and act much like our sweet and friendly pet dogs at home. So, it can be somewhat hard to believe that if we were to step over the protective barrier separating us from them, that they would want to kill us. Their desire to kill us would not be obvious at first because they would not immediately lunge at us; instead they would carefully eye us, then slowly get up and begin circling us. In an instant, they would go from reminding us of our beloved pet, to reminding us of the reason for the protective barrier.

Street witnessing can be much the same in that people at a distance appear to be as friendly and harmless as we are, and it’s not until we start talking to them that we are able to discern if we should continue our witnessing efforts, or if they are preparing to circle us like a pack of wolves. But why would that be? We have good news! Scripture tells us that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing”, and Jesus warns us in Matthew 10:16 of the hostility we will face when sharing it when he says, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” These two scriptures alone tell us not to be naïve into thinking that everyone with a smile on their face is embracing what we are saying. And, we women in particular must make it a point to be more aware of this then men simply because we are more vulnerable. Here are a few things for us ladies to keep in mind when we are witnessing on the streets:

First and foremost, never go out on the streets alone to witness. Follow the example Jesus set in Mark 6:7 when he sent the disciples out two by two; always have at least one other person with you.

Second, resolve in your heart to dress modestly. This is key! Never dress in a way that would call more attention to yourself than to God. Modest women must live for the glory of another. They must live for the glory of God. This means that the Christian women’s chief aim in life is to call attention to the beauty of God and not themselves. Make sure that you are seeking Christ’s approval - when you dress - and not man’s approval, which will always disappoint. Before you leave the house to go out and share the gospel, make sure you look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Would Christ be pleased with what I am wearing?" You never want to tempt your fellow co-labors in the gospel or unbelievers that you are witnessing to. Make sure you are dressed in a manner that represents the Lord well. If you are still not sure if your outfit is modest, ask a modest sister from church for her opinion. Or if you are married, ask your spouse (this presupposes that your husband has a high standard on modesty as we are called to have by the Word of God).

Third, always heed the warnings of the Holy Spirit. He is like our protective barrier, and if we “step over” him we can find ourselves in serious trouble. He guides us in the way we should go, so if something doesn’t feel right, it’s time to end the conversation, hand the person a gospel tract, and move on. Here’s an example of what to say: “What is your name again? Steve, I appreciate you talking with me (hand him a tract), be sure and read the back when you get a chance.”

Finally, consider your surroundings before approaching a group, especially a group of guys. Different atmospheres create different attitudes. For example, a college campus during the day is safer than the city downtown at night.

If you are new to witnessing, it can be difficult at first to discern if someone is genuine or not in his or her conversation with you. If possible, have an experienced person with you for a while until you are comfortable witnessing one-to-one.

Go! Share the Gospel
One Person at a Time

24 comments:

Charlene said...

Stuff like this is really helpful--thanks Trish! Hope it was a fruitful time in Israel.

AlwaysGrateful1 said...

Trish, thanks for all you do to grow the Kingdom of God!

Your posts are always very encouraging and enlightening!

Lori Williams said...

Thanks Trish, appreciate your stance and boldness to share about modesty to women. Appreciate the tips and for caring about your fellow sisters. Glad you are all back safe and sound from Isreal, looking forward to seeing the season when it comes out.
God Bless!

Christin said...

Thank you for addressing this issue. I want to go out and witness, but I would have to go alone or with my young children and that did not seem safe or wise to me. I want to be a witness for Christ, but was concerned about putting my kids in danger. This clears up some of the concerns that I had.

dede said...

more of these please!

dede said...

more of these please!

dede said...

more of these please!

dede said...

more of these please!

dede said...

more of these please!

Jameka Williams said...

Thanks for sharing! I'm thankful that you all returned safely :)

Michael Coughlin said...

Thanks. I appreciate your thoughts and not to repeat the above comments, but I am always glad when women take a stand about modesty. Christ is worth it, and your brothers in Christ are worth protecting, and it is also important for the girl's sake.

Heinz said...

While modesty is a good point, let's be sure not to always put the responsibility and blame on the women. In the bible, God always held the men accountable for lust, so while a woman may not dress the way you would prefer, the man needs to have self-control on his part and not simply blame his problem on her.

Fish With Trish said...

I failed to mention in this post that our Facebook pages can be witnessing tools. How cool is that. We don’t even have to leave the house to be a witness. In fact, why else have a Facebook, but to tell of the Lord's wondrous deeds! I'm sure there are many other reasons why we have Facebook pages but this should be our chief aim.

Ladies, if you are professing to be a Christian and if you haven't done this already, please go through every picture on your Facebook and if you are dressed in an immodest manner, hit "Delete"! If you need help with what is immodest, let's begin with cleavage for starters. If you are showing cleavage, hit "Delete" as fast as you can. Thank you.

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel..." 1 Timothy 2.9a

Unknown said...

Thank you for this! So encouraging to know other woman have high standards! Thank you for your heart to serve the Lord and give Him glory!

Bridget4Jesus said...

Hi Trish, when the Bible says "modest apparel," do you think that it means that women shouldn't wear jeans or any pants in general? I don't wear those "skinny" jeans that are popular today, but just your average Levi's. Would you (or should I say would God) think that they are acceptable for a woman to wear?
Most of the women in my conservative church wear skirts most of the time, even when they aren't in church.

Dan said...

I'm passing this on to Lisa, thanks!

Unknown said...

Thanks so much, Trish! I think it's always important to be aware of your surroundings as well. Whenever you stop and talk to someone, be aware of where you're standing...don't get cornered and know what's going on around and behind you. It may sound silly but these things are very important in order to be safe nowadays. Thanks for the encouragement!!!!

Molter Family said...

Great post Trish! Thanks so much for sharing this very helpful information and the wise things you have learned. May God Bless You!

Fish With Trish said...

Bridget, Thanks for inquiring. There are modest jeans and immodest jeans, to say jeans are a sin is to go further than Scripture and thus legalism.

By the way, I wear skirts a lot. I always look for cheap deals on good skirts. I have one particular green skirt that was given to me and I've worn it and washed it so much that my mother-in-law had to sew it back together. And it's due for another visit to her.

Esly Carrero said...

Awesome post for me to read before going out tomorrow to witness. I'll be with my husband! :) Thanks Trish for your insight! It's a great check-list to be reminded of. :D

Grace Mally said...

Thanks, I really appreciated your words on skirts! Thank you for the encouragement. :-)

Michael Coughlin said...

Imagine this. I click this link tonight and read the post. I love it! Then I see I commented almost a year ago, LOL. STILL TRUE A YEAR LATER.

Michael Coughlin said...

Imagine this. I click this link tonight and read the post. I love it! Then I see I commented almost a year ago, LOL. STILL TRUE A YEAR LATER.

Fish With Trish said...

Hard to believe it's been a year. Glad to see you back, Michael. God bless you!