Being "Nice" Not Enough

Before I get into details, here is the main point of this post: Being "nice" is not enough to lead people to Christ.

We have this unspoken rule in Christianity today: Try to be as nice as possible so that people will ask you why you are so nice, and then you can tell them about Christ. Newsflash: Being nice without speaking the gospel is not evangelism.

These thoughts come from an unusual encounter with a nice lost person. I have decided to build my fence myself. Hurricane Rita knocked down about 50% of my fence and I have been mulling over options for months on what to do about it. Should I just try to patch the broken parts? Should I hire a "professional" to build it back? Should I build it myself? So, as I was trying to decide, my across-the-street-neighbor finished his fence. He did it himself. As I was telling him how impressed I was with his work, he volunteered his help to get me started. This was the single biggest factor in my deciding to do it myself: someone to get me started and to keep me on track. So, on Saturday, I humbly asked for his help. He spent most of Saturday helping me by loading his truck up with materials, waiting at the hardware store for over an hour, volunteering his tools, answering all my dumb questions, and then actually helping me set the posts. Needless to say, he didn't have to do any of this. Not only that, he didn't have to have a good and helpful attitude about it all. He was nice! Much more nice than I have ever been to him.

Christians should be the nicest people in the world. We have been shown kindness from God and we are expected to show the same kindness to those around us. However, it takes more than just kindness to lead people to Christ. Any worldly person can help someone build a fence, wash a car, or visit someone in the hospital. Only those who have been saved by Grace can speak the truth with love to those who need to hear why they were created. So, build a fence, wash a car, visit people in the hospital; but, don't leave it at that. Speak the gospel with compassion and conviction.

FYI- this is not an actual picture of my fence, just one I found on the internet. My fence consists of a few poles sticking out of the ground right now.