I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:1–2, ESV)
Where I live, golf is seasonal. Every year at this time in the fall, we start to plan for the departure of many of our LINKS Players as they head to places where golf can be played year-round.
Many of our fellowships continue to meet with fewer attendees through the winter months, but there is no golf, and we eagerly anticipate the return of our LINKS brothers each spring.
I was recently drawn to a phrase originally written by Brian A. “Drew” Chalker: “People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.” It caused me to think about the many people God has brought into my life in those three categories: my wife, my best friend other than my wife, my family, mentors of mine through the years, and many others who have made an impact on my life and shaped the person I am today.
I encourage you to engage in a similar exercise and think about the people who have impacted your life. It can be a very emotional experience as you reflect on these special people.
One person who came into my life for both a reason and a season was a guy who was one of the greatest evangelists I’ve ever met. Every time we got together for coffee, he would begin telling me about all the people with whom he had shared Christ that week.
I remember asking him one time how he never missed an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone. He became very serious, looked at me, and said, “Todd, I’m never not thinking about it.”
As you think about these special people, my question is this: How many of them did you share the Gospel with? Today’s Scripture passage says that we should “be ready in season and out of season” to preach the Gospel message.
How often do we assume that those close to us know the Lord and that we don’t need to share the Good News with them? I know I’m guilty of this more often than I would like to admit.
So, if you live and play golf in an area where the high season is approaching, I want to encourage you to share the Gospel with the people you meet this season. I’m going to start preparing myself to spread the Good News to more people when our season cranks back up again.
Let’s make heaven crowded, LINKS Players!
Prayer: Lord, we know that you don’t call the equipped, but you equip the called. Help us to do what you’ve called us to do and spread the Gospel!
GIVE ’EM HEAVEN TODAY!!