Which type of hunter are you?

I'm not much of a hunter. I've been dove and squirrel hunting and I've even taken my boys squirrel hunting. My only claim to hunting fame is killing 6 squirrels with a single shot 20 gauge shot gun in about a minute. My dad still says they were deaf squirrels, but at 14 years old I took no mercy on them! Personally, I prefer fishing. But I do enjoy seeing what my hunter friends have killed. Whether it's deer, turkey, or some other wildlife I like to see the pictures and talk to them about what they've killed. Recently I was checking out some pictures on Facebook where a couple of friends had killed turkeys. I started thinking about the different types of hunters and how they relate to our primary responsibility as Christians.

Its safe to say that your primary responsibility as a follower of Christ is to tell others about Jesus and what He's done in your life. Your own story is the greatest and most effective witness to the power of God and the life-changing redemption Christ has ushered into your life. That witness is what God uses to bring unbelievers to faith in Christ. No matter our age, socioeconomic status, race, gender, or education level, we are responsible to tell people of the change Jesus has made in our lives and ask them to do the same. Jesus commands us in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 to be His witnesses and to do so by sharing the gospel and making disciples for Him. Whether you are good at it or not, its your responsibility. Whether you are currently practicing this or not, its still your responsibility. With that being said, we can look at our responsibility through the scope (sorry bad pun) of a hunters analogy.

The Sitter
When hunting most game the hunter will sit very still and wait for the game to come by so they can shoot it. Sometimes they're in a tree stand and other times they are in a blind. But they are sitting still waiting on the game to arrive.

I would dare say that nearly all Christians are "Sitters" when it comes to hunting down the lost to share the gospel. We sit in our lofty perch of a tree stand (the church) or we camouflage ourselves in the world and wait for the lost to come to us. We don't make a move when they are around for fear they may see that we want to talk to them about spiritual matters. We may even wait on them to climb into the tree stand with us and beg to be hunted. But In the end they often times walk right through our sights and we don't take the shot. We sit and watch people slip into eternity without taking the time to share with them about the One who can change their life.

The Stalker
Some hunters stalk their game. They have to quietly approach their game while trying to avoid scaring it off. It can be a challenge depending on the environment they are in. Some even hunt using dogs to track down raccoon or bear. Nevertheless, they are approaching their game and taking the initiative to track it down.

There are fewer Christians who hunt for the lost as a "Stalker." They have a desire and a tenacity that supersedes the fear of rejection. They bravely pursue unbelievers with a singular focus that impresses others. Sometimes they stealthily creep up on an unsuspecting unbeliever and other times they chase them down with the fervor of a dog that has treed a raccoon. Regardless, they have a determination to succeed at bagging the big game and that is a soul that is destined for hell.

It's pretty clear from the hunting analogy that we have two choices as to how we will approach unbelievers to share the gospel. We can sit as they go by or we can pursue them. It doesn't take much common sense to know that we should be pursuing the unbelievers in the hopes they will put their faith in Christ. If you find yourself letting the lost go right by you, what do you need to do differently to share the gospel with them? What do you need to change in and of yourself? Whatever it is seek God's help in making the change and He will help you succeed. Because in the end He wants you to bag as many souls for Him as you possibly can.


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