A HEART FOR THE LOST

Often, high school football players will ask me how I developed the confidence to play in the NFL. I tell them that confidence is spelled p-r-e-p-a-r-a-t-i-o-n.

A person doesn’t rise to the level of the moment; they rise to the level of their preparation. The most authentically confident people are the most prepared people.

This means the most confident everyday missionaries are those who know and live the gospel, soak in Scripture, rely on the Holy Spirit, and rehearse potential conversations they may have about the gospel. When you’re lit up with love, you think and act like a missionary because you are a missionary.

Learning from the apostle Paul helps me prepare to engage faithfully in a culture skeptical of the gospel. In his visit to Mars Hill in Athens, Paul embodied seven missional traits that show us how to be effective in reaching lost people.

First, let’s notice this: “He was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city” (Acts 17:16, NLT). Athens was full of idols, and Paul knew that behind every idol was a demon (1 Corinthians 10:20). He had a holy burden for the people of Athens.

Sadly, today, many Christians are indifferent and no longer see the world’s deep need. The longer most people follow Jesus, the fewer non-Christian friends they have. Often, new believers are the most passionate about sharing their faith because they still have lots of lost friends. However, as they participate in church more, they increasingly hang around other Christians.

The first step in cultivating a missional heart in a lost world is remembering the needs of lost people. When you love lost people, a missional heart will give you the courage to share your faith. Ask God to give you a burden for the lost, and he will.

In each of these devotionals, we’ll identify a missional principle from the story of Paul at Mars Hill. As you consider each one, think and pray about how you can apply it to the people God has brought into your life.

Missional principle #1: Be compassionate toward the lost.