By Seth Rumsey, Community Groups Pastor
I read recently that salvation lies at the intersection of the natural and supernatural. All of us came to saving faith by both natural and supernatural means; God used ordinary means to do something extraordinary. We might have had a friend who faithfully loved us, a parent who modeled faith, a sermon that caught our attention, the right podcast at the right time, or countless conversations with a patient roommate. In very unsurprising and natural ways, God used other people to point us to the cross. And yet, our salvation story is absolutely extraordinary. There was something supernatural, God intervened, your eyes were opened, your heart was transformed, something you had heard for years suddenly became crystal clear, and God rescued you from your spiritual tomb.
The natural and the supernatural. God uses his people in the lives of others in very natural ways to make room for his supernatural power to invade lost souls.
So what about now? How is God using you in the lives of others in this unique season to communicate the gospel in simple and common ways?
For me, it’s been running with neighbors. The stay at home orders have created an opportunity to run with neighbors who would normally be taking early commutes into work. In addition, the limitation of having to exercise at home has provided a simple and practical way to connect with people on a more consistent basis. So Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (if I don’t oversleep!), we run.
And as we run, we talk. And as we talk, conversations about life, marriage, parenting, and how we navigate difficult times naturally arise. I have had the opportunity to share about God’s grace in response to someone’s concern of protection, or that God is a healer when one neighbor shared about difficulty in his marriage. It’s not about preaching, just asking questions and sharing hope. It’s natural, it’s ordinary, and the rest, the supernatural extraordinary part, we leave to God.
How might God be prompting you to use ordinary means of sharing extraordinary hope in this uncertain but promising season? I hope He does, and I hope you will.