Sharing a Groupon vs. The Gospel

I've been on a Groupon kick lately. It's as if Groupon has read my mind and has been offering deep discounts on restaurants and activities that I've wanted to try for some time. And when I get in on such a great discount, I feel the urge to share the news with others so that they, too, can participate.

As I was driving home one night, this thought hit me: Am I more prone to share a Groupon than the Gospel?

The answer, unfortunately, has been "yes."

I could make a lot of excuses, like that I don't cross paths with a lot of nonbelievers. But that's mainly because I assume a lot of my acquaintances are believers, even though I've never asked them.

Yet, when I send a link about a Groupon, I don't know for sure that the recipient is even interested in the deal, and it's not up to me to convince them that they have to buy it. I only want to share it.

That's how simple it could be to share the Gospel with others. I'm not responsible for the results, only to be obedient to share.

But the truth is that I haven't made it my mission to share the Gospel. And that is appalling because it's only the Gospel that I'm instructed to share and to be a witness of "in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Only the Gospel can change lives. Only the Gospel has eternal significance.

If I want my friends, acquaintances, and others to experience the benefits of knowing Christ, I, as a believer, MUST share it. This is my mission, and I'm grateful for a church that is reminding and encouraging me week in and week out to build bridges with others and to make Jesus's name known.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)