COMPELLED?
What follows will be based on 2Corinthians 5:11-21Â (Click to give a read).
Every Christian is called to urge those without Christ to be reconciled to God. Our success in this calling should not be measured by the number of conversions, but by our faithful efforts to persuade others. Only God can change the heart, but he calls us to be persuasive in how we present the gospel.
For starters, let’s think about motivation. What is it that causes us to faithfully persuade those who don’t believe in Jesus? 2Corinthians 5:14 says, “the love of Christ compels us…” and the next verse explains that the “love of Christ” means we “no longer live for [ourselves] but for him who for [our] sake died and was raised.” So, an ambassador draws motivation from their love for Christ.
In the letter to the church in Ephesus (Revelation2:1-7), Christ rebukes them for leaving their first love and calls them to repent. This church was inwardly focused, and while they stood firm against moral and doctrinal attacks, they had forgotten why. The same can happen to us.
It is possible for us to become so concerned with other good things, that we forget the greatest thing – love the Lord with all your heart. When this happens, we lose our motivation to share the gospel.  If I have no compulsion to share the gospel, the problem isn’t the lack of desire, but the lack of love for Christ.
Spend some time today with the one who loved you so much he gave his life for you. Think of where you’d be without him, and thank him for where’s he brought you. And allow you love for him to compel you to share his love with others.