[Grace and Glory turns four years old next month! For the next several weeks, we will revisit some posts that made their debut in one of my two devotional books. The following post was published in He’s an Everyday God.

If you haven’t had the chance to get a copy for yourself, just use the link to hop on over to Amazon and order yours today!]

I have a confession.

There was a time in my life when I aggressively tried to shove Bible verses down people’s throats in an effort to bring them to Jesus.

It didn’t work out real well (imagine that) and I didn’t have a large circle of friends (go figure).

But in my passion for wanting others to “see the truth” I felt compelled to be this zealous. 

This zeal was magnified with the pressure that somehow it fell to me to make people agree with “the truth” before parting ways.

It took years of God chipping away at that very distorted mindset to help me see that He doesn’t treat people like that.  Why should I?

The Holy Spirit never shows up at the door of our hearts with a battering ram.

He’s a gentleman.  He knocks.  If we don’t answer, He goes away and waits for another opportunity to knock again.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…” (Rev. 3:20 NKJV)

So gracious.  So thoughtful.  So polite.

No spiritual wrecking ball tactics.  No breaking down the door.  Just courtesy, respect, kindness, and patience.

Jesus modeled it beautifully. 

We don’t read about Him feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and teaching the attentive crowds while trying to ramrod His divine insights into their heads.

More than that, there’s no record of panic, surprise, or shock as He spoke such life-giving words to people who chose not to listen to Him in the moment.

He just spoke truth.  The Holy Spirit knocked.

What the listener did with that truth was between them and God.

That’s an invaluable lesson that anyone who professes to be a Christ-follower should hold close to their hearts.

We can’t – and don’t – save anyone. 

We simply share the truth.  The Holy Spirit does the knocking.  God does the saving.

Until next time, Grace and Glory!