It Isn’t My Job to Convince You

“If they could only see what I see...”

“If they would just listen with an open heart and an open mind...”

“If I could just...”

Jesus’ command to the disciples was not to convince everyone but to teach everyone. Some were planters, others would water, but it was God who would give the increase.

It isn’t my responsibility to convince you of a particular eschatology.

It isn’t my responsibility to convert the world.

It’s not up to me to get you onto my side.

I can provide articles, lessons, audios, videos, etc, but only you can decide whether or not you agree with me or want to listen to me at all.

So much of my life I’ve felt burdened because I thought it was my responsibility to get everyone else on my side: my family, my church, my friends, the church of Christ. But that’s not on me and it isn’t on you.

All we can do is offer the gift. Be generous with our knowledge, our insight.

But we can’t force people to accept it.

The same is true in the reverse. If we want to be well received we have to be students as well as teachers. We have to learn to accept truth regardless of its source.

Exhaling CO2 is just as important as inhaling Oxygen. To cut yourself off from receiving teaching because NOW you have the truth or NOW you have it all figured out is to cut yourself off from the natural pattern of the universe.

Continue to give, but be open to receiving. You haven’t finished the race yet.