A recent study of five-hundred adult converts in Great Britain revealed an interesting finding. Sixty-nine percent of these adults described their Christian conversion as a gradual event. Only twenty percent described their experience as dramatic or radical. What does this tell us about evangelism?
The researchers concluded that this gradual process is the way most adults discover God. The average time taken was about four years. In that time, the gospel message was repeatedly shared and affirmed by others. Someone was constantly present, talking, and showing the good news of Jesus. Insiders were practicing the power of presence.
Presence means being physically present in one place for a period of time. Presence also speaks of one’s bearing or demeanor. When we say, “There’s a presence about that person,” we’re describing a manner of life.
Jesus practiced this power of presence. He physically became present through His incarnation. The Message wonderfully translates the dynamic of presence in this way: “The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes” (John 1:14).
The Son of God chose not to isolate Himself from a hurting and rebellious humanity. Instead, He moved into their “neighborhoods” to eat with, listen to, have conversation with, and lovingly serve, becoming a “friend of sinners” (Matthew 11:19). Jesus was both physically present and His personal presence was felt.
In a survey conducted by the former magazine Discipleship Journal, researchers found that the average adult convert extracts him or herself from the majority of their non-Christian friends within a period of six months. The extraction, while immediately helpful, in the long run removes people to live as light in some dark places (Philippians 2:14-15). When this happens, we lose the power of presence and limit the gospel’s influence.
Most of us are present in a wonderful intersection of relational circles. These circles include our families, friends at the gym or soccer leagues, doctors and auto mechanics, co-workers and the neighbors next door. In each circle, God is calling us to have a physical presence and a quality-of-life presence for Jesus’ sake. Our presence is necessary to start faith conversations to advance the gospel.
But let’s face it. Sometimes it’s difficult being present with people. I find myself disliking their language, jokes, or how they build relationships. It’s easier to be absent than to be present.
To alleviate my guilt, I sometimes choose to “swoop in.” It’s much easier to swoop in and out of people’s lives — creating artificial encounters for the gospel or patting myself on the back when I do an act of service (such as food pantries) where I never see the person again.
The hard part is living next to people, day-after-day making the gospel message like a “garnish” — where our lives “adorn” the gospel, attracting others to Jesus (Titus 2:10). The life “adornment” in this passage is the instruction given to slaves who in most cases, where up-close-and-personal with their masters.
How can I assess whether I’m present or absent to others? Here are some questions to ponder.
- Do I take time to be present with people in common activities (hobbies, community events, sports events, etc.)?
- Am I present with people in their celebrations, crises, or conflicts?
- How well do I know the hopes and fears, dreams and failures, of people around me?
- Will my service projects create sustainable relationships or sponor a one-time encounter?
- Do I have a multi-dimensional social life, being present with both my Christian friends and my non-Christian friends?
The insider life is a life like Jesus. We move into the neighborhoods of people’s lives, practicing the power of presence — which is really the power of love. As an insider, ask God to help your presence serve a need or start a faith conversation with someone this week.
Time to reflect
- On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your availability to be present in another’s life?
- Why do you think it takes so long, and with repeat exposures to the message, for the gospel to take root in an adult’s life?
- Who do you think God is calling you to be present with?
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