Key Bible Verse: We would rather put up with anything than put an obstacle in the way of the Good News about Christ (1 Corinthians 9:12). Bonus Reading: Matthew 4:18-20

In the summer of 2005, as part of National Trails Day, a few friends and I helped build a trail on Davidson Mesa, overlooking the city of Boulder, Colorado. I wore a T-shirt with a picture of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz, who was tragically killed in a bizarre murder a few years back.

One of the guys pushing wheelbarrows up and down hills with me saw my shirt and asked me about it. He had wrestled in college, and when I told him I was a grappler, as were both my boys, we became fast friends over this common ground. During the day we joked around and even locked up once or twice. By the end of the day, I was able to speak about some of my passions—engaging the church's needs and sharing dreams for the community. He responded by telling me he was on the board of a large human-service agency that was looking for ways to engage the faith community in its work. Imagine that!

How different it may have been had I worn a T-shirt with "His Pain, Your Gain" or a hat with "WWJD." It would have been hard to get someone to look me in the eye.

—Eric Swanson in Living a Life on Loan

My Response: How could I become more likeable and accessible to non-Christians I encounter?

Thought to Apply: Witnessing is removing the various barriers of our self-love to allow Christ, living within us, to show Himself to our neighbors.—PAUL FROST (writer)

Adapted from Living a Life on Loan (NavPress, 1978) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Teach me, Lord, how to live the gospel naturally among those that You care deeply about.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter    RSS Feed   RSS Help