Evangelism with Reflection on Billy Graham’s Inspirational Messages

Having never been ordained or formally trained for any kind of ministry, I was once told I should be an evangelist. I thought about that for a moment. Inquisitively I asked what my friend meant. In my mind, I see Billy Graham as an evangelist. I see someone with years of ministry and service to the Lord in which they are called to preach.

By definition, an evangelist is a Christian who converts others. They try to persuade others to become Christian.

Billy Graham is a well-known preacher. Recently, he talked about living a life of purpose in one of his daily devotionals.

“Each generation becomes more addicted to the sedatives of life, to dull the pain of living. Oppressed by a sense of triviality and thwarted purpose, men find no great goal or commitment to draw them, and no inner stimulation to give meaning to their existence. Christ can save you from the bane of boredom,” Billy Graham writes. “He waits to give you a fresh sense of direction and to take dissatisfaction out of your life. I talked recently with a man in my own community who was converted to faith in Christ. ‘I hadn’t known what to do with my leisure time,’ he told me, ‘but now I have a sense of commitment and purpose that I never knew before.’”

Going back to my friend who said I should go into evangelism, I told them that wasn’t my calling. I want to make a difference in the lives I touch. I want to share the experiences that have taught me wisdom.

My faith is my guidebook. The Bible is my instruction manual. It’s the underlying foundation that gives me a path to follow. If I’m looking for inspiration inside the covers of something great, then my faith drives my attention.

I’ve never had an agenda. I believe in Christ and I believe in the afterlife. Yes, my deep desire is to see my loved ones come to Christ. That is my hope to see them in heaven and to be with them in eternity.

If I’m sharing some inspirational message it’s because I want to give others hope. If I’m persuading them to seek Christ then I guess one could call me an evangelist.

I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly things in this life. I’m not looking to be a hero. I only want to make a difference.

So I reflect on Billy Graham’s message when he said, “Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”

If you’re reading this, I’d like to hear from you. What is it that drives you to do what you do? What kind of legacy do you want to leave? As I write these words and share these messages, I wonder if it even makes a difference. I wonder if it really matters to the readers.

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