Living Loved Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 2

Freedom from the "Tyranny" of Soul Winning

Posted February 3, 2008

Chuck, I am going to touch some lives today. Want to come along?
Papa, I wouldn't miss it for the world!

One of my favorite scriptures is John 15:5: "I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me, and I remain in you, you will bear much fruit. Without me you can do nothing." Verse 8 reads, "My true disciples produce much fruit."

Much fruit. There's the rub. I love being close and intimate with Jesus, but I have never been content that I am producing enough "fruit". Translated "soul-winning". I don't aggressively push Jesus or spontaneously lead every unsaved person into the sinner's prayer.

Yesterday morning, I was once more reading this beautiful chapter from John, once again thankful for intimacy with Jesus, once again nagged by Am I doing enough? But this time a voice in my deepest being pleaded, Chuck, there is more here than you have ever seen before. This is not about in-your-face soul-winning. It's about fruit that comes from a personal relationship with me. Look beyond where you are. You can't be stuck there anymore!

Sometimes I am so slow to "get it". So, I sat. And I listened. And as I did so I became almost over-awed and astounded at the immense possibilities for freedom from this tyranny of "doing enough". I turned to Galatians 5:22,23: "...when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

And 2 Peter 1:3-8 reads: "As we know Jesus better, [we in him, and he in us... our] faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone." Verse 8 really grabbed my attention: "The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in ...Jesus Christ. This brings great joy to my Father [and] He will open the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (John 15:8; 2 Peter 1:11)

Why was all this so freeing? Because I am not by nature an aggressive Go to person; I am an As you go person. As I go, I in him and he in me, I pray with people, minister healing, help people to find hope. And as I go (I'm aware this could be misread as haughtiness) I can walk all day, whether spending time with a hospice patient or listening to a troubled heart or loving on a home schooler, in all the fruit mentioned above-- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. moral excellence, knowing God better, patient endurance, godliness, love for other Christians, and genuine love for everyone. I also admit that sometimes I do not do it well.

How am I able to walk there day in and day out? Wayne Jacobsen, in his book He Loves Me, writes that when he wakes up in the morning he can almost feel God saying, Wayne. I am going to touch some lives today. Do you want to come along? Wayne's response: I wouldn't miss it for the world! In other words, he begins the day and walks the day in joyful expectation. I am learning to do the same.

Jesus promises, The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful..... I recently sat down with my prayer journal and made some notes at the close of a day of our journeying together. Two pages filled, I stopped and reflected, awed and overwhelmed at all that had taken place not because meetings were planned or goals achieved or appointments kept, but because I had accepted an invitation to walk with Him as He touched some lives. No longer am I nagged about doing enough. I am free. I am happy, I am at peace.

As I said before, sometimes I am so slow to get it but he, being Who he is, never gives up. I remain in him and he in me wherever, whenever, however. And you know what? Soul-winning happens anyway. All from the seed, the blossoming, the fruit of simply coming along for the day.

Obviously, one of the lives he's touching is mine. I'm not gonna' miss it for anything.

Chuck Tooman
Living Loved