The surfer waits patiently for the wave to be ready.

I have previously mentioned my love of surfing, and as a fan of both surfing and the odd beer I can vividly remember a certain beer advert for several years back. This advert for a well known Irish black liquid (we all know the one), depicts a particularly patient surfer floating about in the sea as ‘he waits’.

Surfing is very much about the wait – particularly for terrible surfers like myself. I recently took our  action camera out for a day in the surf, but came back with only pictures of myself bobbing around as I caught practically nothing. The conditions weren’t right and the day was spent waiting.

Sometimes surfing is like this, the conditions aren’t right – the wind is onshore, the waves are closing out etc.

This is much the same with evangelising. Sometimes this too is the waiting game, the conditions must be right.

Many people simply are not ready to accept the good news of the gospel – they may have had bad experiences with Christianity in the past, they may followers of other religions, perhaps they simply don’t think they need religion in their lives or it may be that God isn’t ready to open their eyes yet.

As a surfer I love to surf and will happily sit all day in the hope of catching just one more wave – for me it is more than worth the wait.

As a Christian I love to spread the gospel and for me it is worth the wait. It is our job as Christians to endure the wait, patiently creating fellowship with others through living caring, compassionate, Jesus centred lives. Building these relationships will allow people to see the benefits and when they are ready to listen you will be there. We need to remember that it is God that decides when they are ready not us.

The Christian waits patiently for the person to be ready.

Graham