Ecuador (MNN) – Ever wonder what you need to do to turn people to Jesus? The answer is simple—only God can do that.
Only God
Jeff Johnston with e3 Partners reminds us how our role is to plant seeds and disciple, but we cannot change people’s hearts. e3 has seen this truth play out before, particularly with Paulette’s story, a woman in Ecuador.
“She lived in a city up in [northern] Ecuador, and one day got a knock on her door. She looked out the window, and she said that she could tell that these people were missionaries, or that these people wanted to talk to her about religion or God or something. And she said she didn’t really want to talk about that and wasn’t really in the mood.”
Paulette did not answer the door that day. Some months later she moved to a new city where she encountered Christians knocking at her door again. This time she answered and the Gospel was shared. However, Johnston says Paulette was not ready to accept Christ. A couple of months later, she moved again. In this third city, she and her husband had a daughter. However, Paulette felt like something was missing, but she did not know what that “something” was.
A Third Encounter
“Then one day, [she] and her husband heard some music from a nearby building, and she said that they just for some reason both felt compelled to go see what it was. And so, they walked over there and it was a church, and it was a church service. They walked into the church, and they said they were just immediately just overwhelmed with love from the community, that they just welcomed them in. And so, they sat there through the rest of that church service, and then they went back the next week, and again the next week, and again the next week,” Johnston says.
(Photo courtesy of e3 Partners)
After a few weeks, both Paulette and her husband accepted Jesus into their lives. At that point, Paulette revealed how the void and emptiness she had previous felt, the something missing, had been filled. That “something” was Jesus. She also realized how her encounters with Christians knocking at her door in the past was God pursuing her. Today, Paulette, her husband, and even her daughter are in leadership roles at their church, which also works with e3.
“I think it’s understanding and coming to grips with the fact that you may not always see the fruits of your work, that a lot of your work might end up just being planting seeds and then someone else down the line may end up reaping that harvest and seeing the fruit from that. But it’s coming to grips with that and understanding that and knowing that does not lessen the work that you do whatsoever, that it’s still important,” Johnston says.
Planting Seeds
Scripture describes how the body of Christ has many different parts, and all of them serve a purpose. Even though the Christians who knocked on Paulette’s doors never saw the fruit of their work, they were still instrumental in God’s pursuit of Paulette.
Will you trust God to use you in His pursuits of people like Paulette and her husband? If the answer is yes, or even just a maybe, consider taking a trip with e3 to help share the Gospel across the world.
“I’ve talked to just feels when they come back that you know, they feel even stronger in their faith and just kind of feel reinvigorated for evangelism and for Jesus. And so, I’d encourage people to find a trip that works with their schedule or somewhere that they’re interested in going to or have a passion for and just come and watch how God can work through you and through others with you. It’s amazing how he’s able to use all of us, all of these broken people and use it to bring honor and glory and just grow His kingdom,” Johnston says.
To find a trip, click here!
