No Strings

I don’t think coercion is the best strategy for getting people to follow Jesus.

Last time I asked a question: What comes to mind when you hear “…make disciples”?

I’ll bet a lot of us picture some form of coercion. Maybe it’s guilt-laced, fear-based preaching. Perhaps it’s some sort of transactional “service” in which the receiver is expected to respond in a certain manner. Maybe it’s just arguing people into submission. It could even be peer pressure.

“Making disciples” has too often become a strategy to push people into making what we’re certain is the right decision. You don’t change hearts and create long-term followers this way because coercion is manipulation.

People don’t like being manipulated.

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I once asked David Grant, founder of Project Rescue, how he developed his method for rescuing and restoring people from sex trafficking. I expected a detailed explanation, but he answered with a single word.

“Jesus.”

I thought about that for a while, and realized they do just what Jesus would have done. It’s just as simple, just as complex, just as difficult, just as risky, as that.

Just as He did, they go to some of the nastiest, most dangerous places you can imagine. They serve people, victims and traffickers alike, with no strings attached. The goal is simply to create relationships. It’s difficult, long-term work.

And sometimes, through those relationships, people see the possibility of a different life for themselves or for their kids. I can’t imagine the frustration, because this doesn’t happen all the time with every person.

It’s the ultimate example of doing your best and trusting Jesus for the results.