That was the question that was always in our minds in the early days of our Vietnamese mission work—who cares? Who is going to be confused or surprised or angry because of the choices we make, the words we speak, the foods we eat? Vietnam is a very different place than mainstream America, and it was important for us to avoid giving offense while we were telling people about Jesus.
And so it was important for me, Kari, to avoid drinking beer in public when I was among the Vietnamese. Not that there’s any sin in drinking beer—but by custom, Vietnamese women do not drink alcohol in public, and if I did such a thing, I would make it really hard for anybody to pay attention to what I had to say about Jesus. So for love’s sake, I would ask for a Coke or tea. Then I could talk about Jesus and people would be ready to hear.
Paul recommends that we think carefully about what we do for the same reason. Our rights are not that important, compared to Jesus. They need to hear about Him. They need to hear about the One who is God Himself, come down from heaven to be a Man. They need to know that He loves them so much that He gave Himself into death for their sake, so that they could be forgiven and cleansed and healed and made new. They need to know that He rose from the dead and promises to share that same new, everlasting life with everyone who trusts in Him, for free.
This is the Jesus we know. Let’s live in such a way that other people come to know Him, too.
WE PRAY: Dear Holy Spirit, use me so that others will come to trust in Jesus. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. What little things offend you so that you can’t pay attention to a message?
2. When have you been able to share your faith in Jesus with someone?
3. How far will you go to change your free choices to make it easier for someone else to believe?