The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men—he gathers and receives them for eternity].
Proverbs 11:30, AMP
In our previous piece, we discovered that the foremost quality of an effective soulwinner is that he/she must abide in the True Vine through prayer. The second quality I will share with you is compassion. Has your heart ever broken over an incidence or a situation such that you wept or had a compulsion to do something about it? That's the kind of compassion an effective soulwinner has in his heart- it reaches out in love and is self-giving.
Soulwinning is more than just preaching; it is actually carrying the heart of Jesus Christ for the world. The Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His ONE and ONLY Son, Jesus, that we may have eternal life (John 3:16). That was the only solution to our fallen state and separation from Him. This love is so deep and so profound that it can reach out and touch any man's life, no matter his personality. And when it does, the person becomes changed from the inside. Glory to God! The Bible says, 'But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.' (Romans 5:8, AMP).
The perfect example of compassion we can see with reference to soulwinning is that of Jesus. Remember that I said previously: Jesus is the Master Soulwinner and we must follow Him in order to be effective soulwinners, just like Him (Matthew 4:19). Here's the background to the story: Jesus had been ministering all through the day and decided to retreat with His disciples to go and rest and have something to eat. However, some of the folks they had ministered to earlier spotted them and sounded the alarm for others to come and hear from the Master and witness the power of God at work (vv. 32-34). What was Jesus going to do now? Leave them and go and take a nap? Certainly not! The Bible says, 'At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.' (Mark 6:34)
Now, it takes a great deal of compassion to do such a thing. This compassion does not consider what your present circumstances are- it has one goal in mind: to win them by love! In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul writes that the love of Christ constrains us. In other words, the love of Christ in our hearts is the motivation, the foundation upon which we preach the Gospel. That is why we intercede in prayer for the lost. This love is like a burden on your heart that is replaced with the joy of the Lord as men are coming to Christ. Glory to God!
Don't be selfish by praying only for yourself and your family in your prayers. The Bible says you are a priest (Revelation 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9). Thus, it is your priestly duty to intercede for the lost. Pray until you see the salvation of that fellow in your community. Let this love of Christ in your heart compel you to weep for the ungodly. Instead of passing judgemental remarks, go on your knees, cry unto God on their behalf and receive mercy for them. Pray that their hearts will be open to receive the Word. Be moved at the plight of the sinner- he has NO HOPE (Ephesians 2:12)! But, through your prayers, and ONE TRUTH you speak to them, they shall be saved. Praise the Lord!
Remember that compassion is like fuel to keep you going even when you seem to be giving up. God bless you- we'll put piece #3 soon.
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