Schven had just come from the “old” country, and all he had with him was a check. So he went to the bank and tried to cash it. The teller said crisply, “You’ll need to endorse the check,” but Schven refused. After repeated attempts to get the check cashed without endorsing it, Schven left and went to the bank across the street. Again the teller said, “You must endorse the check!” But Schven refused.
The teller at the first bank watched the whole proceeding, and to her horror saw the teller in the second bank take Schven’s head and pound it three times on the marble counter. Promptly Schven endorsed the check and the teller cashed it.
Several days later Schven came again to the “first” bank. “Let me ask you something, Schven,” queried the teller. “Why did you endorse the check at the bank across the street, but you wouldn’t endorse it here?” Schven’s reply: “Well, at the bank over there, they explained it much better!”
One of the things we remember about Pentecost was the power associated with that occasion. Jesus told His followers that they would receive that power after the Holy Spirit came upon them [Acts 1:8]. Power to do what? Power to witness! Power to share Christ! Power to evangelize! But not just to do those things, but power to do them effectively. Power to “explain it better.”
Sometimes well-meaning Christians drive people away instead of drawing them to the Christ. They become preachy, self-elevating, condemnatory, prooftexting individuals who “turn off” more prospects than they “turn on.” Being empowered by the Spirit to witness effectively may require only a few well-directed sentences to arouse the interest of a non-believer. Those few words, coupled with a kindly approach, a touch of the hand, or a genuinely concerned look, will go a long way in conveying the message of Christian love and redemption.
May we ask the Lord to help us to be effective soulwinners, and to “explain it better.”
–Paul W. Brubaker
