RELEASED: Living From Our True Identity, Part 11
SCRIPTURE
Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. - John 6:43-45
MEDITATION
Twenty-five years ago, I sat for two weeks thinking about this passage.
How had I missed this? It does not say that everyone who hears and learns from Norris will come to Jesus, but EVERYONE who hears and learns from the Father comes to Jesus.
As I sat with the Lord asking him about it, he confirmed and released me from thinking that it was ever my job to win anyone to Christ.
At that time, Laurie and I had been missionaries for almost twenty years. I had stacks of evangelism material. The pressure to “win” someone to Christ had only fueled my performance-driven mindset and allowed me to compare myself to other missionaries. After all, that is what should happen when missionaries show up—people will come to faith.
This passage changed everything for me. I literally took the stacks of evangelism material I had and threw them all away. It is not my job to win someone to Christ, it is the Father’s job!
Evangelism for me became one sentence: “Set the table for God to speak and people will come to Jesus.”
The peace and freedom that came with this revelation has never dimmed. I no longer feel the pressure to have all the answers. Instead, I simply ask the One who is always with me to reveal his presence. In each moment, I am learning to pause and ask, “Lord, what do you want to say to the person in front of me?” Time and again, he shows up, making his love and truth known in ways I never could on my own.
I no longer feel any pressure, because winning someone is not my job. My role is to set the table, then watch God do what he wants to do, and help him in any way he leads in the moment. It is never a script or a curriculum; it is a real time relationship with the Trinity where They are leading any encounter and speaking all the time.
My neighbor Darin, a contractor who is currently working on our house downstairs, paid me a great compliment about eight years ago. We were both working on my deck and he said, “Norris you’re the weirdest Christian I have ever been around! You talk and act like Jesus is right here with us!” I said, “That’s because he is! I wonder what he is going to say to you today!” Darin told me to shut up after that—but since then he has heard God and is now following the Lord. I got to baptize him and his family.
Living in the reality that God is fully present every moment and wants to speak has resulted in thousands hearing his voice around the world.
I bless you today with his peace and joy as you set the table for God to speak in all your spaces and places.
REFLECTION
What materials, curriculum, or “stuff” have you become enamored with and dependent on rather than God himself speaking in any moment or interaction?
Want to receive this entire 12-part devotional series in your email inbox? Sign up here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Norris and Laurie Williams are in their 44th year as missionaries and their 30th year with Novo. They have four married children and 11 grandchildren. For the last 23 years, Norris has focused on finding ordinary men and women to whom God has been speaking in preparation for leading gospel movements in their nations. He serves and coaches these national leaders and teams to know their identity, to learn how to hear God's voice for themselves, to understand Disciple Making Movements (DMM), and to empower them to hear from God how DMM will work in their culture. Norris’ path of serving men and women includes successful business owners to displaced refugees, CEOs to gang leaders, farmers to professional athletes, and more. He has discovered, served and helped leaders and teams start gospel movements in the Middle East, Nigeria, Uganda, South Asia, and the U.S. Norris currently helps lead Novo’s Global Partners Team and is helping pioneer work in new nations and new cultures.