Have you ever wondered what it feels like to have a love…
““Have you ever wondered what it feels like to have a love for the lost? This is a term we use as part of our Christian jargon. Many believers search their hearts in condemnation, looking for the arrival of some feeling of benevolence that will propel them into bold evangelism. It will never happen. It is impossible to love “the lost”. You can’t feel deeply for an abstraction or a concept. You would find it impossible to love deeply an unfamiliar individual portrayed in a photograph, let alone a nation or a race or something as vague as “all lost people”. Don’t wait for a feeling or love in order to share Christ with a stranger. You already love your heavenly Father, and you know that this stranger is created by Him, but separated from Him, so take those first steps in evangelism because you love God. It is not primarily out of compassion for humanity that we share our faith or pray for the lost; it is first of all, love for God.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
True evangelism stems from love for God, not an abstract feeling for strangers; action follows devotion.
In simple terms: Share faith because you love God, not because you feel compassion for “the lost”.
Key Takeaway
Act out love of God in evangelism.
Themes
faith
evangelism
motivation
compassion
action
Mood
determined
hopeful
Type
theological
motivational
When to use this quote
- church outreach
- personal evangelism
- mission trips
- daily conversations
Key Concepts
theocentric love
motivation vs. feeling
practical faith
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you cultivate God‑centered love in daily life?
- What practical steps help you move from feeling to action?
A Different Perspective
Human feelings can be unreliable motivators for sharing faith.