Every Monday afternoon, after Lucas and I are done grocery shopping (a high point during daddy day!), we head over to the local Subway to grab a quick bite to eat (well at least I do...he just watches). What draws us to Subway every Monday afternoon? Two things...a $5 sub and the ability to make my sandwich how I want! That's right! That $5...$5...$5 footlong commerical we all sing in our sleep, has lured me in. I'm a sucker for the $5 footlong. Here is the deal...Subway has a list of five or six subs that you can get for $5...all the rest tend to come out to about $7.50...not such a stellar deal. As long as I choose a $5 footlong, I can put any type of topping on it I want...whatever my sandwich style is...I can have it! So what do I usually get? A spicy Italian ($5), with lettuce, tomato, oil, and oregano (I know, nothing fancy...). Why do I bring up Subway? Good questions...lets dive into our $5 promo a little more... We have been talking simply about sharing Jesus with others...that's it. But for alot of us (me included) it doesn't come naturally...it doesn't come easy... This past Sunday night, we began to make it personal...how has God created each of us in such a way as to use our individual personalities and sharing styles to spread the love of Jesus? For so many of us...we have this image in our minds that God only uses people in one specific way to share Christ. And for most, if not all of us, we don't feel like we fall into that one category...
But here is the thing...God has wired us all differently. We saw Sunday night that in the books of Luke and Acts alone, we saw 4 different sharing styles: Talker, Stalker, Buddy, and Brain. God has created us unique to use our specific sharing style for His glory and the spreading of Jesus! So some of us may be more aggressive and passionate (Stalkers), while the rest of us may be more loving and caring (Buddy). At the same time...we have friends who will respond better to one of these sharing styles over another, depending on their own personalities as well as their circumstances.
So what does our sharing style have to do with Subway. Just like I can put any type of topping on my $5 sub I want (my sandwich style), God has wired us in such a way as to use us just as we are to share Jesus with those around us (sharing style). Here is the catch...although God desires to use us just as we are, the message stays the same... Example...As a teen growing up, I was always more of the buddy...I loved to love people, ask them deep questions, and sit back and listen in a respectful way. I was a great "Buddy." But at the same time, I struggled to eventually bring Jesus up...I lacked the boldness. You see, although God desires to use us as we are, that doesn't give us freedom to not bring Jesus up. The Gospel...the Good News is meant to be spread in word and deed. Our sharing style doesn't give us the right to change the message, just like my sandwich style doesn't give me the right to pick any type of sandwich I want...one either on the $5 list or not. The type of $5 sandwich I can choose stays the same, as does the Gospel message. I can't pick any type of sandwich and still pay $5 for it. The same is true of the Gospel...we can't change the message any way we want, and still call it the Gospel. However, the way I "personalize" my sandwich with toppings is up to me...so is the way we allow God to use our changing personalities and circumstances to share His unchanging message.
Use these questions and scripture passages during this week to help you dive deeper into this understanding of your sharing style.
1. Read 1 Corinthians 12:14-17. What issue is Paul raising here? Think about if we(the body of Christ) were all "Stalkers"...how effective would we be in reaching others? What would be our mindset in terms of how God could use us, if we didn't consider ourselves to be that one particular sharing style...
2. Read verse 18. Who is responsible for making us... "us?"
- What is it like to know that God is the one who has not only made you uniquely you but has also given you unique spiritual gifts?
3. Read verse 20. What is the one constant thing in this verse?
- When it comes to sharing Jesus with our unique sharing styles...what is the one thing that can't change?
4. Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3...Here Paul lists all of the different gifts that we have. What good are they if they aren't centered in love?
- Read 1 John 4:7-11...what is love?
- Just like in 1 Cor. 13, our gifts are nothing without the love of Jesus as the center...so to are our sharing styles without them pointing to LOVE- the Gospel...the Good News.
5. How do we keep from losing the Gospel message when using our sharing style?
Plan to join us Thursday night at Matt and Amanda's at 7pm. Dress warm as we will be outside aroud the fire...Hope to see you there
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