“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
Colossians 4:5–6 (NKJV)
Not another one of those calls…
“Want to sell your house?”
“Do you want to extend your home warranty… how about your car’s?”
I know they are beyond annoying. We get them several times a day. They call John, then they call me asking the same question. Just a few days ago we were awakened by a solicitation call at 7:30 in the morning on the weekend! I mean what a way to wake up! The frustration we feel at the endless, repeated telemarketing calls is off the charts!
But…
I started thinking about the people making the calls. That job can NOT be easy… cold calling people who have already been called too much looking for a sale is like looking for a needle in haystack! They probably have a quota of people to call every day too. I can’t imagine getting hung up on day after day! Can you? And that got me thinking…
I have been praying for quite a while for a way to minister people. As a speaker, I’ve been asking, “Lord put me in the game! I want off the bench and back in the battle.” I’ve rested enough, time to get back to it! Thankfully, He has been honoring that prayer in various ways but just recently the thought came to me… “Hey CJ, how about you seize the opportunities I give you every day!” Hmmm… Opportunities?
What if I viewed the people calling me as an opportunity instead of an annoyance? What if redeeming the time and making the most of EVERY opportunity included solicitation calls? What if, instead of asking me if I want to sell my house, I asked them if they had the assurance of an eternal home in Heaven with Jesus? And if they know Jesus, then I thought why not ask how I could pray for them? I am by no means an evangelist, so this was a huge stretch for me. I concluded this must be HIS idea because I am simply not smart enough or brave enough to come up with this idea on my own.
So… I turned off the option to silence unknown callers and started answering the phone. After the first the first call I realized what an opportunity this is! I was nervous a bit… but the first gal said she knew Jesus… so I asked if I could pray for her, but she said no. So far, I am 0-4. I only get to share so much before they hang up on me. But… I planted a seed and now I am writing down their names and praying for them anyway! I decided I’m going to keep adjusting what I say and what questions I ask until hopefully someone says yes to a relationship with Jesus… or until the rapture!
Redeem the time friend… buy back every precious moment that you can in your day! Our time is never wasted when we talk about Jesus. The good news is good news for everybody! So here is my challenge to you. We are called to Occupy till He returns. The definition of occupy is to engage the attention or energies of, to take up, to take or fill, to take or hold possession or control of. I want to be found about my Father’s business when He returns. Occupying myself with His work. If it’s on the phone with a telemarketer that would be great too… especially if we meet in the air on the way up! Join me! Let’s turn those solicitations into gospel presentations and spread the good news!
#OccupyTillHeReturns
Hugs – cj
CJ Rapp 