Are you in a spiritual crisis? At some time or another, most people come to a place of crisis in their faith. Maybe you used to be on fire; you were excited about Jesus Christ; you were joyful; you loved talking about the Lord.

Then, like a slow leak in a tire, you began to lose momentum. The joy disappeared; and the fire fizzled out. Now you’re settling for a mediocre existence, and the last thing you think about is evangelism!

Does any of that describe what you’re going through? If so, don’t despair – there is hope for change! The answer is found in Romans 12:1&2. In this passage, Paul urges believers to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy, pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”

What does this look like? It means you come to the Lord. You confess to Christ where you’re at. You fall on your face and present yourself as a ’living sacrifice’ to God. It’s a re-commitment, in a sense, of your life to Christ.

And then, as Romans goes on to tell us, Jesus begins transforming your mind and heart so that you desire what He desires. His passions become your passions. His priorities become your priorities – including Christ’s heart for the lost.

I truly believe that God talks through mothers. In my youth, I was waiting for my personal call from God, that moment when the Lord would tell me that evangelism would be my life’s work. Finally, my exasperated mother reminded me that “the call” was made 2000 years ago, and that the Lord was just waiting for my answer. She was right as usual.

Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade, once said that “an effective witness is someone who takes the initiative to present the claims of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit- and leaves the results to God.”

As Christians, we’re all in the missions field. Some of us will travel to distant, often dangerous lands, but most of us will find people hungering for the Good News much closer to home. Either way, we stand in the gap, living out and proclaiming our faith and leaving the rest up to God.

The Apostle Paul was history’s greatest missionary, taking the Gospel to much of the known world before planes, trains and automobiles. As he told the Corinthians, “we are speaking for Christ, as though God Himself were making his appeal through us.” That is our task as missionaries, as Ambassadors for Christ, wherever we are.

Many ’postmoderns’ don’t necessarily want to hear Christian doctrine or theology. Those topics can actually be real conversation-stoppers if that’s how you start out. But your personal story is different. It can be a powerful way to open up spiritual discussions with your friends. Why? Because no one can dispute your claim of how God has radically transformed your life. There’s nothing to argue about. And actually, from my experience, most people will listen with interest.

The blind man in John chapter 9 is a great example of sharing a personal testimony. When questioned by the religious authorities about Jesus, this man didn’t argue theology or philosophy. He just told them what happened by sharing his story: “One thing I do know… once I was blind, but now I see.”

Think about how God has rescued you from a life of spiritual blindness. Remember how He brought you into a relationship with His son, Jesus. Why not invite a friend to coffee and talk about your life stories. As you share about your own experience with God, you’ll be planting seeds of truth. Prayerfully, those seeds will lead to a harvest of righteousness in their soul!

When missionaries train for cross-cultural ministry, they take classes to prepare them for living, and sharing Christ, in a foreign country. Among other things, learning the language of the people is essential to effectively share the Good News.

You and I also need to learn the right ’language’ to communicate with today’s postmodern generation. It’s important to realize that these people have little to no church background or Bible understanding. There is a basic ignorance of Christian beliefs and doctrines.

We must be careful to not speak in ’Christianese’ terms, which can be confusing to them. Instead, try communicating the Good News using language they understand.

For example, when talking about your relationship with Jesus, try using words like ’rescued’ and ’changed,’ and ’spiritually alive.’ Even simply saying you’re a follower of Jesus, instead of a Christian, may be easier for someone to grasp.

St. Paul challenges us in 1st Corinthians 9 to, “become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” As you find creative ways to communicate your faith, those listening will better understand – and hopefully receive -the Good News of Jesus Christ.