Advent reminds me that Jesus has given me a promise, “Behold, I am making all things new!” His kingdom of grace and abundance is coming, and in the meantime, he himself is already at work in our world.

I’ve been invited to personally prepare for the coming kingdom and now I’m invited to prepare the way for the king by sharing his promise with a weary world in need.

Now I can get myself all twisted into a knot as I think about evangelism. My own fears and insecurities often have me more concerned about myself and whether I'm being a "good Christian" than about the person I want to share God's promise with. It's a mess!

This is why I need to hear the gospel message again and again. Because I can only give what I receive, then the essential first step of evangelism is to dwell with the good news of Jesus' love for me!

So, again I consent to the truth that Jesus is madly in love with me. He willingly died to bear the punishment for my sin and he rose victoriously so that I also will live forever! Amidst the present chaos of life, nothing can change this fact: I am a beloved child of God destined for an everlasting home with the God who created me. I am loved, forgiven, and never alone!

Ahhhh, I can feel a lightness in my chest. The subtle relaxation of my shoulders too. The tug of a tear at the corner of my eye as my soul sinks into the truth of God’s love for me.

Wow! This is what I what others to experience!

When I experience the goodness of the good news, I feel able to share my faith out of a desire for my friend to know God's goodness too. Sitting with the gospel truth sort of undercuts the fears and insecurities that keep my attention on myself.

Now there are many relevant questions about how we go about sharing God's promise and becoming everday, ordinary missionaries (see below), but for right now, may we trust that focusing on the good news for me is the first step in fruitfully preparing the way.

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