What if You Said Yes? Shaka Did!
Has God ever asked you to do something scary?
Whether it’s reaching out to someone in need, starting a new job, or sharing your faith, life is full of moments where you have to make a decision.
Saying “yes” to God’s call isn’t always the easy thing to do, because it takes more than momentary passion. Love for God and trust in His will is what compels you to say yes! When excitement about that new endeavor fades, love for God endures.
A woman named Shaka, pictured above, shows us how it’s done! Her commitment to proclaiming the Gospel is rooted in her love for Jesus.
She received Christ as her Savior after being raised in a family that worshipped false gods. Shaka explains, “We removed all the statues and pictures of all gods and goddesses from our house and gave first place to God only.” The love of Jesus changed Shaka’s life, and she felt it bubbling over into her relationships. “I got interest in sharing the Gospel to others,” she shares. And that’s exactly what she did.
What happens if I say yes?
Saying yes can take you on an adventure, just like it did for Shaka. She wanted to tell people about Jesus. Because of her newfound passion, she said yes to applying for our Church Planter Training program and, once accepted, was equipped to share the Gospel with her friends, family, and neighbors.
Then came a big opportunity: during her fieldwork, Shaka met a woman named Ramrati.
Ramrati’s husband, Porush, was addicted to alcohol and abusive. Their home was so small that the sound of Ramrati’s cries often carried into the streets for all to hear. When Shaka met her, Ramrati was in tears.
Shaka tried to comfort her by sharing about Jesus’ love, but Ramrati was too distraught to listen. So Shaka gave her two booklets that explained who Jesus was and what He did. But Ramrati put the books in a corner and didn’t give them a second thought.
Well, that’s not what I expected.
Regardless of the outcome, Shaka was confident in her love for God and had faith in what He called her to say yes to. Several days later, Porush found the booklets and read them both cover to cover. He had never heard about Jesus before, and he was surprised to hear of all Christ had done for him! Seeing her husband’s reaction, Ramrati also read the booklets she had disregarded before.
Porush and Ramrati then called Shaka and asked her to share more about Jesus. Shaka explained the Scriptures to them, and they received Jesus as their Lord and Savior on that day! Porush gave up his addiction, and now the two are living in peace and harmony together.
Shaka was able to proclaim the Gospel to Porush and Ramrati because she knew the power of Christ for herself. It is the great love of Jesus that compelled her to share her faith!
How can I apply this to my own life?
Think about this: What compels you to tell others about Jesus? Will you, like Shaka, say yes to God using you?
As you reflect on this, check out the prayers and action step below to get started.
PRAY
- Ask Jesus to pour His love into your heart so that it will overflow to others.
- Ask God to help you trust in His love so that you can say “yes” to proclaiming Jesus in any situation He puts in your path today.
TAKE ACTION
- Tell someone what Jesus has done for you!
