Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you (2 Thessalonians 3:1 NLT).
In recent times sneezing in public can be really awkward due to fear around Covid infection. I recently cleared a chip shop waiting area in twenty seconds flat with a sneeze! Why? Because people understand that if someone is carrying the virus it can spread from person to person.
We have learned a bit too much recently about how a virus works. Basically, once somebody gets properly infected, it starts transmitting, moves from person to person and begins to spread rapidly. Every time someone sneezes or coughs it spreads to the next person and everyone has the potential to infect everybody they meet.
As Paul asks people to pray that the Gospel would spread rapidly, that’s exactly what he means, that it would go viral, spreading from person to person. It’s time to learn to Sneeze Again!!! As one author devotes a whole chapter to ‘Sneezing the Gospel’, he means that we all need to get properly infected with a passion for the Gospel and do everything we can to be contagious and spread rapidly.
Think about this… If there was a track and trace app that alerted people when they were in contact with a contagious Christian, would there be any hope of a ‘pingdemic’? It’s as if many believers in our world have been vaccinated with fear, isolationism, individualism, consumerism and a million other things that prevent the rapid spread of the Gospel. But God is calling us to get properly infected and to go viral with the Good News of the Kingdom, so here’s a question…
What will it take for the Gospel to spread rapidly where you are? Are you willing to deal with a little awkwardness as you become more contagious? How do we contribute to the Gospel going viral? Simply, it just means doing the opposite of what we do in the natural to combat viruses.
Don’t get vaccinated! Never allow yourself to be inoculated with the isolationism, individualism, or consumerism that plagues many in the world today. Live in obedience to the Great Commission and embrace every opportunity to build relationships, serve those around you, and give yourself to Kingdom expansion.
Take your mask off! It’s so important that we live authentic lives for all to see. It’s easy to walk around wearing a false face, in a stain glass masquerade pretending to be strong and having it all together. But people need to see the real you! Be authentic, vulnerable, and transparent, people will take notice!
Don’t socially distance! Take every opportunity to develop close friendships with those who need Jesus. Don’t allow your commitment to church activities to isolate you from non-churched people. Make sure you’re up close and personal with as many in your community as possible, be contagious for Jesus!
Lord, please use me as a super spreader of the Good News, help me to live a contagious life and always help me to overcome the momentary awkwardness of sharing Christ, in word and deed, with all those around me. Amen