“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Research has shown that a person must hear something at least three times before he remembers it or learns it. When I meet someone, I must hear and connect his name with his face three times before I remember it. I have an easier time if I hear his name and see it written at the same time.

How many times did you hear the gospel before you internalized it? That is, before you really understood it and believed it? Was it all at once, or did you hear it bit by bit, one piece of truth at a time? You probably didn’t hear it all at once, and each time you learned something new, it had to sink in.

It is easy for us to become discouraged when we have talked to a relative or friend about God and Jesus and that person does not respond. We may think what we said made no difference in his or her life. But we must remember that “the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). The word that you planted, that seed, takes time to grow and mature in people’s minds.

Some of those who heard Jesus preach did not follow Him at first. Think of James, the brother of Jesus. After the crucifixion, he became a strong believer and supporter of Christianity. So don’t give up, but keep preaching the gospel. Woe unto us if God has blessed us so richly and we don’t share His salvation with others. If I were lost, I would beg you to tell me about God’s love again and again until I understood what Christ has done for me. Plant the seed, and God will give the increase.

Hymn: “Tell Me The Old, Old Story”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we never get so discouraged that we stop telling people about You. Let us remember that Your word works in the hearts of sinners. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Donna Wittlif, Denver, Colorado