John 20:30-31 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

I can really understand John’s feelings here. He had written his Gospel precisely because so many things had been left out of the previous three, but even coming to the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry chronologically, he realizes that there was so much more that happened that he hadn’t written about. That said, he expresses his motivation in writing in the first place, and it is one that every believer even today should share. God’s love and grace, His salvation, are big enough for all mankind. Sharing them doesn’t diminish them in the least for the one doing the sharing, but rather accentuates their joy. A sadly small percentage of the believers on earth have ever led another person to become a believer, and that’s a huge waste in every way. An interesting thing about faith is that the more you share it, the stronger it gets. Everyone should want to grow in faith, so we should share the faith we have! We get intimidated at the idea of “soul winning,” feeling, possibly quite accurately, that we have no particular gifting in evangelism, but the point isn’t in statistical results, it’s in the obedience of sharing. Jesus said clearly, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) He didn’t say, “Overwhelm people with your exceptional apologetics and hermeneutics,” He just said, “Shine.” As has been said, this is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. We aren’t all called to write books or hold special meetings or any of the things we associate with evangelists, but we are called to share with others what God has done for us. When we do that, in honesty and humility, God will use our words and our attitude to speak to people’s hearts, and lead them too into His salvation.

This is extremely pertinent to me, for a number of reasons. In the first place, I’m a missionary, but I’m gifted as a teacher, not an evangelist. In the second place, I’m writing my autobiography, not to inflate myself but to testify how gracious God has been in spite of my countless failures. I find it’s slow going, because I’m attempting to do it chronologically, and I keep remembering things from a period of my life that I’ve already covered. Using a computer makes it easy to go back and add that, but as a result, I’m still in the period of my 20s, and I’m currently 77! Once I finally get to the present, however old I’ll be when that happens, I’m going to need a good editor, because I don’t want a book the size of War and Peace! That said, I indeed share John’s desire to express what God has done, so that others, reading it, may believe that He loves them, too, and so yield their lives to Him and receive eternal life in exchange.

Father, thank You indeed for Your overwhelming grace toward me, and for the privilege of sharing that with others. Too many people seem to think I’m exceptional, that You couldn’t love and use them in the same way as You do me. I ask Your Holy Spirit to touch their hearts and open their eyes to see Your heart for them personally, so that they may know the truth and be set free indeed, (John 8:32) for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!