There’s a story told about a woman who, while driving through a rough neighborhood, has her car break down. It’s very early in the morning, so early that the sun still hasn’t begun to brighten the sky so she, in her fear, rolls up the windows, locks the doors, and hunkers down until daylight when she’s more comfortable getting out of the car to look for help. About 40 minutes later she is awaken by a man screaming at her to get out of the car. She is terrified and refuses to do anything that this madman tells her to. She is, in her mind, rightly offended that she should be commanded in such a way by someone she doesn’t know. The man disappears for a moment only to reappear with a rock in his hand and he smashes her window and rips her out of the car. She’s screaming for help as he drags her from her car and he doesn’t get her 10 feet from her car before the whole thing is engulfed in a fireball of twisted metal as a freight train plows right through it.
In the same way, we as Christians, are ignored and attacked for speaking to others about our faith and for telling others the hard truth about their situation. If we are true believers, then this should come as a second nature. If we are true believers then we know that we can’t sit idly by as we wait on others to do the “hard things” and approach those who are running headlong into Hell. Our neighbors, friends, family members – unknowingly sprinting from God into the eternal fires of Hell and we don’t do anything about it at all – and why? Because we’re afraid that they won’t like us anymore? How would you feel if you were that woman, sitting quietly in your car with the radio up and only realizing at that last second before the train hits that there’s someone sitting 10 feet away safely watching it all take place? Someone who knew the train was coming and who did nothing to help you? The loving thing to do is often the hardest but we, as Bible believing Christians know that the train is coming. Are you going to stand idly by, or are you going to grab a rock and do the hard work of reaching those in need?