a pebble in the shoe

God has given us free will. We have the ability to reject what God has to offer. God honors and respects us so much, he allows us to trust in Jesus or not. And as the Bible makes clear, God gives life and nurtures the life of those who trust in Jesus as Lord and those who don’t (Luke 4:25-27).

These observations are important when witnessing to the love of Jesus with your friends. If they are not receptive, so be it. You still have a friend and you have patience. Another day. I like what Greg Koukl says about this.

He says when you share your faith, you are being an influence. If people don’t respond and begin to trust in Jesus that’s O.K. You have at least “put a pebble in their shoe.” What a great way to think about it! By dealing with God issues with you, your friend will not quickly stop thinking about deeper things. It’s like a pebble in your shoe. Kind of bugging you and reminding you. Consider this.

An atheist visited the great rabbi and philosopher Martin Buber and demanded that Buber prove the existence of God to him. Buber refused, and the atheist got up to leave in anger. As he left, Buber called after him, "But can you be sure there is no God?" That atheist wrote, forty years later, "I am still an atheist. But Buber's question has haunted me every day of my life."

Now, unlike this story, we will give reasonable evidence of the existence of God. But if our friends choose to not seek further, we respect that. And we remember there are receptive people just waiting to meet us.