Have you ever thought of your home as a fishing lure?
A dear friend of mine, Barbara Ball, exemplifies the woman who gives her home over to God to use as He wills. At twenty-nine, she was a lonely, negative, shy woman. But today, she’s vibrant and excited. She tells a story about how she first used her home to share her faith in a new neighborhood. She discovered that she had become so busy that she wasn’t sharing her faith. She says:
I discovered this when I planned a Christmas coffee at my home. By this time, Howard [my husband] and I had moved from our Arrowhead Springs bungalow into a house that we purchased in San Bernardino [California]. I sent twenty-five invitations, but only three of my neighbors came. True, small groups are fine with the Lord, but my neighbors didn’t come because they didn’t know me and were apprehensive about what I was doing.
Right then I decided to get to know my neighbors. I asked the Lord what I could do to meet them, and He impressed me to consider what I do best.
I love to bake bread, so I began taking a loaf to each home and staying to visit. I continued baking and visiting my neighbors until I had built friendship bridges to them. . . .
After two years in that neighborhood, our torrential rainstorms drove mud down from the mountainside, and our entire area was forced to move. We all helped and loved each other. The local newspapers printed an article and photo of my three friends and me praying for our neighbors. The article was called, “And Barbara, We Will Pray for You!” Most important, I was able to witness to many of those neighbors. That’s how I began sharing Christ as a way of life!
Barbara is still sharing her faith and using her home as a center for spreading the good news. She has talents in cooking and decorating, which she uses for God’s glory. She has been such an encouragement to me.
Other women use their workplace to hold a Bible study at lunchtime or to build bridges with other women. Your church may have evangelistic outreach programs that are designed to help you reach out to others. Ask God to show you what He wants you to do in the places you go every day.
By Vonette Bright
©2024 Copyright Bright Media Foundation
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