Lifestyle Evangelism is . . . Unconditional Caring and Love.

One of the important principles in lifestyle evangelism is that of unconditional caring and love. The Bible says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).

In his book, Who Cares About Love, Dr. Win Arn does an excellent job of explaining the three principles of unconditional love. Principle number one is Always Act First. Do not wait for others to approach you, but approach them first. Some people are naturally shy and not taking the initiative could mean you may never meet this person again and that you will have lost the opportunity to make a friend.

Principle number two is Accept People As They Are. This principle is for those who think they are not good enough to associate with others as well as for those who think they are too good. Sorry, but to put it simply and bluntly, we are all equal sinners and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb in God’s eyes. Just think; if God loved that person enough to die for him/her, who are we to love him/her any less? You know, we can always find someone “worse” or “better” than we, but we must ultimately compare ourselves with Jesus.

Principle number three is Be Available. If you want your yard to look good, you have to spend time keeping it up. If you want your car to run right, you have to spend time in maintaining. If you want your marriage and family to grow and prosper, you have to spend time with your spouse and children. If you want to develop, keep, and strengthen your friendship, you have to make time to be available.

In the second half of his book, Dr. Arn talks about eight steps to loving. Let me summarize what he says: We love only as the Lord loves us and as that love flows from Him, through us, to others. God first loves us. We love others. With the Lord’s help, we “first” love others (see the Golden Rule). We communicate our love through active listening to the wants, needs and praise of others. We respond with caring gifts, not necessarily a material gift, but a gift such as forgiveness, praise, or an uplifting word. We care by sharing ourselves.

We love because Christ first loved us. God so loves us that He gave His only Son for us. How much more is it possible for us to love one another.

41 of 52 © Rev. Ronald A. Bogs