International (MNN) — When Christians are facing difficult times, we can turn to our Hope—Jesus Christ. It doesn’t make our pain and struggle go away. But we can depend on God to hold our heads above the waves as we weather the storm.
But what about those who don’t know Jesus? How do they keep going when times are tough? Many Christians long to share the hope of Jesus with them. But how?
God’s power in the ordinary
We recently spoke with Ron Hutchcraft of Hutchcraft Ministries regarding the rescue efforts around Hurricane Helene. He said that the urgency witnessed among first responders, neighbors, and entire communities should be mirrored by our everyday efforts to tell those around us about Jesus.
Using the story of Moses, Hutchcraft reminds us that the foundation we start from is prayer, and a willingness to offer up the gifts God has given us. In this example, what Moses has when he meets God at the burning bush is a simple shepherd’s rod.
Ron Hutchcraft (Photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)
“God says, ‘lay it down’. Didn’t tell him what it was going to do with it,” Hutchcraft explains. “Well, at the beginning of the chapter, it’s the rod of Moses. At the end of the chapter, it’s called the rod of God. Same stick in Moses’ hands, it can round up a few sheep. In God’s hands, it can be the symbol that turns the Nile to blood, melts the heart of Pharaoh and sets a nation free.”
The things we have are just things, unless we ask God to use them for his purposes. Hutchcraft says we need to ask God what in our lives can be leveraged for the Gospel. He says it could be as simple as baking cookies for a neighbor, or as big as offering up a vacation home for a family needing a break from their day-to-day challenges.
Investing in “Eternity Inc.”
Secondly, Hutchcraft encourages believers to ask if they can do more of what they’re already doing.
“Could I be investing more in “Eternity Inc.”, the stuff that will last forever? Because God can turn something as temporal as money into everlasting treasure in heaven, if we invested in his cause.”
Photo by Derick McKinney via Unsplash.
It’s not as simple as being generous, however. We also need to partner with God in what we share of our heart with that person. Hutchcraft calls this prayer the “three open prayer” based on Colossians 4:3-4:
“Lord, open the door. That’s a natural opportunity to bring up your relationship with Jesus. Lord, open their heart. Get them ready to hear it. And Lord, open my mouth, and give me the words and the tongue, the approach, the courage. Lord, open my mouth.”
To learn more about how Hutchcraft Ministries is contributing to this “greatest cause on earth,” click here.
Header photo by Meredith Spencer via Unsplash.
