“We’re going to do walk-up next week.”
My heart sank. My palms got sweaty. My leg twitched under the table. My mind raced for excuses – maybe I could suddenly become “too busy” or conveniently catch something contagious.
With shame, I admit that this was my gut reaction when my Staff Worker invited our Small Group to do walk-up evangelism for our upcoming Easter Mission. I had just finished a Bible College gap year, and was supposedly “on fire” for mission. Yet, in this moment, this ‘good Christian girl’ wanted to run, lie, or hide rather than talk to strangers about Jesus. Have you also scrambled for excuses you’d rather not repeat?
Staff Workers know students feel anxious, so they train, encourage, and remind them, “The worst they can say is no.” But I have often wondered: how did Jesus’ 72 disciples feel when he sent them out?
“Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10:3)
“When you enter a town and are not welcomed, go… ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet…’” (Luke 10:10–11)
Not exactly comforting words! Jesus sends them in pairs, without him, telling them that they are prey in a world that wants to devour them, and that they will be rejected. Surely their minds were full of doubts, fears, and excuses. Yet when they returned, Luke records,
“The seventy-two returned with joy…” (Luke 10:17).
Joy! What an other worldly response. Joy, even in the face of fear and rejection, because they had seen God’s power working in and through them to proclaim and demonstrate His Kingdom. Joy was found in obedience.
And that was my experience too. In fear and trembling, I approached a fellow student. She welcomed me with a smile, asked questions, and I found words pouring out – words helped by the Spirit – to speak of the beauty of Jesus. I walked away buzzing with joy!
This is my prayer for our EU students – that they would discover joy in obedience.
The EU is inviting all Small Groups to do walk-up for our Meet Jesus Mission. Throughout Weeks 4 and 5, dozens of Small Groups will go out, inviting people to our evangelistic Public Meetings and getting into gospel conversations with those they meet, God-willing. Praise God for the seed already sown in the first week of our Meet Jesus mission!
Our hope isn’t simply that students tick the “walk-up” box because we asked. Our prayer is that they experience the joy of stepping out in faith, relying on the Spirit, and growing in dependence on Him.
I’m sure we can all attest to moments in our lives where God’s goodness has been seen, tasted and experienced in abundance, despite overwhelming fear. What a gift those moments are to deepening our resolve to be ‘sold out for Jesus!’
So would you pray with us? Pray that the students would be faithful in doing walk-up and find joy in obedience – for His glory and their good.
