Taking care of these patients are health workers, including nurses and doctors. To prevent infection, they have to put on a protective gear. It is so extremely hot inside the gear that no one can bear to put it on for more than an hour. As long as they do not get in contact with the fluids of patients, they are safe. The problem, however, is that when they take off the protective gear, simply touching the goggles or the outside of the gown might transfer the virus to the skin. If the virus gets into a cut on your skin, eyes, or any orifice, you can get infected. Furthermore, dozens of other health workers share the kitchen, eating places or hotels. You do not know who has not been careful and is infected. Some health workers who return home are ostracized by their neighbours or even family members. These workers, however, labour on. Are they scared? Yes, they are. When they feel unwell, they would wonder if they had been infected. Did they stop caring for the Ebola patients? No, they did not. For the sake of saving lives, they were willing to risk their lives for strangers. Jesus commends such people: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
Jesus Himself is the friend par excellence. Not only did He die for strangers, he died to give life to people who deserved death, eternal death. Humankind has sinned against God and yet our Lord Jesus took the punishment for our sins. When we take an honest look at ourselves, we know we are unworthy people. Yet Jesus willingly died for us. May our Lord Jesus be our example who laid down His life to save you and me.
Christians owe people the gospel debt. We have an obligation to make sacrifices for the sake of bringing to them God’s salvation. Are you planning to reach out to someone with the gospel, in order to bring them eternal life? “But doing that,” you say, “will create a lot of inconvenience.” My response is, if you are serious about saving a soul, you need to make sacrifices. This also is Paul’s mindset: “preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season” (2Tim 4:2). Regardless of whether it is convenient or not, even if it means death, Paul preaches the gospel.
Starting with people who are dearest to you or people who meet you most often, how many are still unsaved, that is, non-Christians? Identify these people. Come out with a time table and a plan. You can consider sharing this plan with another Christian in your cell group, or your cell group leader. My point is, enlist the help of a few Christians. Then start the reaching out process by praying regularly for these lost souls.
Perhaps this gospel outreach will mean less time for recreation. It may also add to your already busy schedule. It may also mean you have less time to earn money. You will need to make sacrifices. But the Bible says: “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psa 126:5). We owe others a debt that must be paid up, the gospel debt. Let us make sacrifices to save souls into eternal life.