Lesson 335: “May I Offer You a Mint? Please!"
When we have guest in our homes, we will always offer them something to drink or perhaps a tasty snack. When we feel our mouths drying out we drag out the gum and will offer the ones with us a stick of gum also. We do not even hesitate to offer someone a mint if their breath seems to lack that refreshing whiff that makes a conversation enjoyable. Why then do we hold back the knowledge we have of Jesus Christ and the gospel of salvation? Even if we know that salvation is already in the hearts of those we associate with, why not share the good news of the blessings of Christ on an “every time we meet” basis? This sharing could work wonders for the person with whom you share and for yourself, not to mention all the glory and honor you will bring to God.
Perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses in Christianity today is insensitivity to the Spirit and to the needs of others. Suffering should elicit prayer (offer a mint) and sufficiency should elicit praise (come drink of the Spiritual water). When James states that if anyone is sick they should be prayed over, he does not limit this sickness to the physical. The word he uses literally means “to be weak” or “to be weary”, both morally and spiritually, for which James prescribes prayer and anointing. He is not suggesting a ritual anointing but rather a common means of bestowing honor, refreshment and grooming.
Paul charges all Christians to be prepared (have a pocket filled with mints) to preach the Word with great patience and careful instruction. Romans 10:13-15 is a perfect example of the offering of Jesus Christ and the gospel from Christians; “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved! How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them”? Jesus Himself prayed for all of those who believed in Him through the messages given after He went to Heaven (John 17:20) and we must offer the lost, our Jesus.
Remember the Ethiopian who sat in his chariot and read the Book of Isaiah? The Spirit told Philip to go near the chariot and when he heard the man reading he asked if he understood what he was reading. The eunuch’s answer! “How can I, unless someone explains it to me”? How can someone in your midst understand John 3:16 unless they understand who God is? How can they understand the “breath” of the Holy Spirit unless they know who the Holy Spirit is and why He is here among us? When they are dry and thirsty, do they know how to take a drink of the water that Jesus offers unless they are shown? You may be filled to the brim with the Spirit and the knowledge of the Word of God and may never hunger or thirst but I assure you that someone near you needs a mint. Offer it and teach them how to savor it! “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Don’t miss out on the chance God gives you to feed the hungry and water the thirsty because when you do this you are doing it for the Father (Matt. 25:35-40).