Extroverts and Quiet Men

The Bible is full of examples of extroverted and outspoken people. God often chose such people for leadership roles or to speak for him. We may think of Joshua, Deborah, Saul, David, Solomon, Peter, or the Apostle Paul. Thank God for such people who can speak about their faith in a public way! But it is obvious, that God did not wire us all the same way. Think about Moses, who was afraid to speak, or Jacob who was a “quiet man,” or even our Lord Jesus who was described as the servant who “will not quarrel or cry out, no one will hear his voice in the streets.” (Isa. 42:1-4)

Jesus, The Servant

If the Lord Jesus wasn’t busy handing out tracts, debating biblical teaching and preaching on the street, then how did he reach people? The fact is, Jesus did do a lot of preaching. He encountered people on all levels and shared good news with them as he had opportunity. But more than being a preacher, I would argue that Jesus was first a servant. In fact, those were the very words that he used to describe himself: “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

Meeting The Needs of Those Around Us

I am drawn to that example of meeting the needs of those around us. I am also drawn to the example of Andrew in the gospels as the brother of Peter, whom we all know as a very outspoken fellow, likely didn’t have much of a chance to speak out. Andrew didn’t need to. When he found something special, something important, and something life changing, he simply shared it; not in the public square, but one on one with his brother. (John 1:41)

It Comes Down to Relationships

The fact is, many of us are like Andrew: normal, quiet, and honest folks. Few people really respond to flashy evangelistic methods. If great, expensive programs were the secret, then the people with the most money would be most successful at evangelizing. If big buildings were the secret, then Europe would be full of Christians! But it comes down to relationships. It boils down to sharing what is most important to us with those we know, and those with whom we come into contact. It boils down to meeting the needs of others, and to serving others. Not every one of us may be able to preach or teach, or even share the gospel verbally with people we don’t know, but each one of us can serve, can’t we?