I have an English Cocker Spaniel named Rusty. He’s field-bred, which means he was born to flush and retrieve birds. You can tell. He loves chasing tennis balls and bumpers, and he does it with relentless enthusiasm. 

One day, I was doing some chores around the house and put him in his kennel to keep him safe. Eventually, I started prepping a part of our yard for sod and realized it was a little too rocky. So I started picking out the medium-sized stones and tossing them to another part of our property. Rusty was watching me from the kennel, and he started whimpering and shaking with excitement. He thought I was playing fetch and really, really wanted to fetch the stones I was throwing, not knowing what they were.

Sometimes I’m like Rusty. I get really worked up over a rock that isn’t for me, and I can make myself miserable with disappointment. 

I know that all of us want our friends, loved ones, and even strangers to know Jesus and encounter his transformative salvation, both in this life and for all eternity, but saving people is the distinct privilege of Jesus Christ. It’s not our rock. In evangelism, success is measured by faithfulness.

Paul’s message to the church in Colossae shows us that, as believers, we should:

• Pray for God to open doors
• Remain watchful
• Speak clearly 
• Live wisely 

But saving people? That’s Jesus’ work.

In 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, Paul offers a simple illustration I find helpful. One person plants. Another waters. But neither can make a seed grow. That miracle belongs to God alone. Sometimes you’ll have the joy of planting a seed. Other times you’ll water a seed someone else planted years earlier. Occasionally, by God’s grace, you’ll be present at the harvest.

As this week comes to a close, don’t measure your success by how many spiritual conversations you had or whether someone responded the way you hoped. Measure it by whether you:

• Prayed for open doors
• Paid attention, noticing opportunities to share
• Walked through them
• Spoke clearly
• Made conscious choices to model Jesus to others through your lifestyle

That’s what faithfulness looks like, and faithfulness is success. God is in the habit of using unremarkable faithfulness to achieve supernatural results.

Prayer: “Dear God, help me lay hold of the confidence that you are the one who can open doors, prepare hearts, and bring a sinner to repentance and faith, and that you will. Amen.”