Happy people need Jesus too

I love to hear the testimonies of believers. I particularly love to hear the stories of men and women who tell how God found them and rescued them from various points of need and destruction. It encourages others to trust in God. It brings praise to Him and magnifies His glorious grace. But as inspirational as these testimonies are, some people only come away thinking that Christianity is for weak people, or that Christianity is a crutch for troubled people. Several years ago I talked to a young new doctor, who was a professing Christian from a good Christian family. I knew him while his internship was coming to an end and it was after that period, when his life seemed to be working just fine with a new personal romance and the take-off of his professional career, that he arrived at this conclusion. I guess he didn't see the need for Jesus anymore. But this brings us to an important question: Was he right? Why does it seem that so many 'Jesus people' have a story of a messed up past, childhood trauma, abuse, addiction...you name it?

The short answer, I believe, is that our weakness and pain more easily strips pride from us, and enables us to accept God's way, or makes us desperate enough to seek His help. It's easier to trust God when we have nothing else that works or satisfies. But Christianity is no crutch. What God does with weak, broken people is to heal them and also make them blessings to others - wounded healers - for His glory. His work in us is to transform us into overcomers who will inherit His kingdom. The darker our night was before Christ, the more evident to others is the change He makes when He shines on us and through us. But happy people need Jesus too.

How do we evangelize the happy, or rich and satisfied, unbelievers though? Jesus taught that for the rich, self satisfied people of this world, it is virtually impossible for them to enter the kingdom of heaven. But when his disciples were alarmed by His strong statement, He assured them that although this is impossible with men, with God nothing shall be impossible (Matthew 19:23-26). Happy people may see and feel no need for Jesus, but even ignorantly, they remain under the condemnation of their sinful nature. God loves them and desires them to come to know Him too.

It can be intimidating to try to share the gospel with someone who is happy with their life as it is. We have been taught how to share Jesus with broken people who need help and are more open to having God in their life. I think in some cases, we will prefer to wait for a moment of weakness to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. This method does often work as the Spirit draws men, but we should not limit ourselves like this. Having watched the wisdom of God in using the law to show men their need for a Savior through Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron in their revolutionary evangelistic program, Way of the Master, I am convinced that happy people can be pierced with the truth of their need for a Savior. God's own word can show them how they have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And this is the reality to which we must appeal in these cases. We may not see fruit right away, but this is not our responsibility.

Let us all be encouraged to be obedient to share our faith even with the happy, smiling people around us. Some of them are only smiling on the outside anyway. But even for those who live the proverbial 'good life,' and even if their fortunes do not change, their soul still needs to be redeemed. "For what profit is it to a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul. Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul" (Matthew 16:26). I love the testimonies of the wounded healers, but it is just as glorious a testimony of God's grace when a happy person comes to know Christ and proclaims Him to be better than all earthly things.