One to One

Jesus said "Go and make disciples," not "Stay and make yourself comfortable." But for many Christians the problem is not that we're unwilling to evangelize; we simply don't know how.

We can learn a helpful principle from the world of sports. Most sports include some sort of face-to-face, nose-to-nose encounter between one athlete and another. Basketball has its man-to-man defense. Football features one-on-one matchups between offensive and offensive linemen. Something powerful happens when two people face each other head-on. Will the chess player make the right moves? Will the tennis player hold her own against her opponent? Will the cross country runner pull ahead of the pack? Will the professional golfer win the playoff round, or will he crack under the pressure?

Evangelism, though, isn't a game. It's serious business with life-and-death consequences. It's not about winning arguments or debates; it's about bringing the life-changing grace of Jesus Christ to those who lack hope. And in this process, one-on-one encounters are crucial.

Actually, the Bible prescribes one-on-one solutions to many real-life problems. Did your brother sin against you? Don't get your friends to gang up on him. "Go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over" (Matthew 18:15).

What about racial strife? Sermons, books, and government policies can't replace what happens when one person simply spends time with someone from a different ethnic group and makes a friend.

Children need one-on-one time with each of their parents to talk, question, laugh, and play. And while we can learn a lot about marriage and parenting from magazine articles and expert speakers, it's hard to beat the biblical prescription for older women to "train the younger women to love their husbands and children" (Titus 2:4). Nothing teaches relational skills more effectively than an experienced mentor who guides and encourages others one to one.

And what about prayer? Like Aaron and Hur who lifted up Moses' hands when he grew tired (Exodus 17:10-13), prayer partners can lift us before God's throne in intercession and hold us accountable to grow in our walk with God.

Jesus preached to large crowds, but he also practiced the one-on-one approach. He engaged in heart-to-heart conversations with Nicodemus, the woman at the well, Peter, the rich young ruler, Zaccheus, Thomas, and others. Philip conducted a personal Bible study in the Ethiopian's chariot and baptized him in some water near the desert road. The apostle Paul wrote personal letters to his friends Timothy and Titus, and he told Philemon, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith" (Philemon 6).

Today we have many helpful communication tools: telephones, TVs, radios, e-mail, and video. But nothing ever will replace the time-tested method by which a Christian earns trust, models love, and communicates the gospel with sincerity and respect. A parent tells a child. A friend tells a friend. A neighbor tells a neighbor. Through ordinary webs of personal relationships, and through new relationships we build intentionally as ambassadors for Christ, God's people serve as conduits for his truth.

Does Jesus' command to "make disciples of all nations" seem too enormous to fulfill? Start where you are, with people you know. Teach them, baptize them, love them, stay near them. Be Christ's ambassador of reconciliation and peace. And when you do, the one who promised "surely I am with you always" will strengthen you one to one.