“I will unashamedly make Jesus known through my actions and words.”
Many years ago, I remember being asked, “Who are you when no one is watching?” It came as a bit of a challenge at the time because I could not say, hand on heart, that my private life quite lived up to my public life. There were never massive issues in my life, but there were a number of niggling issues that over time were compromising my genuine heart’s desire to live a 'souled' out life for Christ.
What we choose to do with our private lifestyle, when no one is watching, will either mean that our public lives go from strength to strength, or it will mean that we end up having an increasingly limited ability to live well. And, what I have discovered over many years of following Jesus is that our ability to consistently live well is basically determined by the amount of time we spend with God in His word.
A while back I needed to rent a hire car for a trip to South Wales. I went online and booked the car, specified the time I needed to pick it up, and then arrived at that agreed time. I was greeted less than enthusiastically by a lady behind the counter. As I remember, there was no hello offered, no thank you as I handed over my driving licence and debit card, and literally one-word answers to any questions that I asked.
Then came the time when all the paperwork was done, and I was taken to the car. I sat in the driver’s seat and the lady serving me sat in the passenger seat. As I was signing to say that I had done all the checks, I found myself asking the lady the following question: “Forgive me for asking, but it sounds like you are having a bad day — is everything okay?”
The lady’s reply opened the door for Jesus to enter the situation when she thanked me and then asked me why I would even be interested. I told her that I was interested in her welfare simply because God was interested more. We spoke about a value that we have at CVM, namely that as a follower of Jesus Christ “I will treat all men and women as brothers and sisters,” and that this attitude toward others is fuelled by the fact that God sent His only Son to sacrifice Himself for us all because He loves us (John 3:16).
The conversation finished with me telling this lady that God loved her and that as a Christian I loved her too and wanted her to know who Jesus really is. She smiled and said, “Thank you.”
As we spend time with God “when no one else is looking”, reading His word, praying for God to use our words and actions, our private life naturally spills over into all our public encounters.
Sut Fedrwn Ni Fod yn Halen a Goleuni mewn Byd Sydd Angen Mwy o Obaith?
“Fe wna i gyhoeddi Iesu heb gywilydd trwy air a gweithred.”
Sawl blwyddyn yn ôl, dwi’n cofio rhywun yn gofyn imi: “Pwy wyt ti pan nad oes neb yn gwylio?” Daeth hynny fel dipyn o her imi ar y pryd gan nad oeddwn ni’n gallu dweud, a’m llaw ar fy nghalon, fod fy mywyd preifat yn cyfateb i’m delwedd gyhoeddus. Nid fod gen i rioed dramgwyddau mawr yn fy mywyd i’w hwynebu, ond roedd nifer o faterion bach trafferthus a oedd, dros amser, yn rhwystro gwir ddyhead fy nghalon i fyw bywyd o roi f’enaid yn llwyr dros Grist. Bydd yr hyn rydyn ni’n dewis ei wneud gyda’n ffordd o fyw breifat, pan nad oes unrhyw un arall yn gweld, yn golygu un ai y bydd ein bywydau cyhoeddus yn mynd o nerth i nerth, neu fe fydd yn cyfyngu fwyfwy ar ein gallu i fyw’n dda. A’r hyn dwi wedi’i ddarganfod dros y blynyddoedd o ddilyn Iesu ydy bod ein gallu i fyw’n gyson dda yn sylfaenol ddibynnol ar faint o amser rydyn ni’n ei dreulio gyda Duw yn Ei Air.
Rhyw ‘chydig amser yn ôl, roedd gofyn imi logi car er mwyn teithio i Dde Cymru. Fe es i ar-lein ac archebu car, nodi’r amser roedd angen imi ei gasglu a mynd yno i’w nôl ar yr adeg penodol. Chefais i fawr o groeso gan y wraig oedd tu ôl i’r ddesg. Fel y cofiaf, wnaeth hi ddim fy nghyfarch, dim diolch wrth imi gyflwyno fy nhrwydded a’m cerdyn debyd – a deud y gwir, dim ond atebion unsill swta i bob cwestiwn gen i.
Daeth hi’n amser wedyn pan roedd yr holl waith papur wedi’i gwblhau. Fe’m tywyswyd at y car; dyma fi’n eistedd yn sedd y gyrrwr a daeth y wraig a oedd tu ôl i’r ddesg i eistedd yn sedd flaen y teithiwr. Wrth imi gydnabod fy mod wedi derbyn a deall yr holl gyfarwyddiadau, roeddwn i’n methu ag atal fy hun rhag gofyn:
“Maddeuwch imi am ofyn, ond mae’n ymddangos eich bod chi’n cael diwrnod diflas – ydy popeth yn iawn?”
Roedd ymateb y wraig yn agor y drws i Iesu ddod i mewn i’r sefyllfa, gan iddi ddiolch imi a gofyn pa reswm fase gen i i ddangos unrhyw ddiddordeb. Dwedais innau fy mod i’n poeni am ei lles oherwydd fod gan Dduw hyd yn oed fwy o ddiddordeb ynddi. Dyma ni’n sgwrsio am un o’r gwerthoedd sydd ganddon ni yn CVM, sef fel dilynwr Iesu Grist,“fe wna i drin pob gŵr a gwraig fel brawd a chwaer” a bod yr agwedd hon tuag at eraill wedi’i hysgogi gan y ffaith fod Duw wedi anfon Ei unig Fab i aberthu’i hun droson ni oherwydd ei fod yn ein caru (Ioan 3:16).
Daeth y sgwrs i ben trwy i minnau ddweud wrth y wraig fod Duw’n ei charu ac fel Cristion, fy mod innau’n ei charu hefyd ac am iddi hithau ddod i wybod pwy ydy Iesu go iawn. Gwenodd a dweud “Diolch”.
Wrth inni dreulio amser gyda Duw “pan fo neb arall yn gwylio”, yn darllen Ei Air , gweddïo ar Dduw i ddefnyddio pob gair a gweithred er Ei glod, fe fydd ein bywydau preifat yn naturiol yn gorlifo, gan effeithio a chyffwrdd pob cyfarfyddiad gawn ni â’n cyd-ddyn.
