He stopped. Looked at me. And answered in English, “Yes! I came here to buy drugs. I keep telling people I want to stop, but no one listens. I need to hear this.”
Mariano’s Story
You may feel unready to step out and share the Gospel, but here’s the paradox wrapped in good news: no one is ever “ready.” In our own strength, body, mind, and emotions, none of us has what it takes to lead someone to the Lord. Measure yourself by intelligence, personality, or emotional maturity, and you’ll always come up short.
That’s exactly why this is good news.
God never asked you to rely on your own charm, insight, or eloquence. He already supplied everything you need when He gave you the Holy Spirit, your comforter, your guide, and your power source.
Let me show you what that looks like in real life.
My first mission trip took me to Madrid, Spain. It was required to graduate from Charis Bible College, and by the time we landed, we had spent months preparing, praying, and practicing evangelism. Still, when I arrived, I felt completely inadequate.
But I held onto one truth I had been meditating on for nearly a year: the Holy Spirit was in me, and He would lead me.
So there I was, standing in a park in Spain, watching hundreds of people pass by, knowing it was time to approach someone and share the Gospel. Inside, I felt the weight of it. And I remember quietly saying to the Holy Spirit, “I can’t do this, so I need You to lead me through it.”
That was the turning point.
My first mission trip took me to Madrid, Spain. It was required to graduate from Charis Bible College, and by the time we landed, we had spent months preparing, praying, and practicing evangelism. Still, when I arrived, I felt completely inadequate.
But I held onto one truth I had been meditating on for nearly a year: the Holy Spirit was in me, and He would lead me.
So there I was, standing in a park in Spain, watching hundreds of people pass by, knowing it was time to approach someone and share the Gospel. Inside, I felt the weight of it. And I remember quietly saying to the Holy Spirit, “I can’t do this, so I need You to lead me through it.”
That was the turning point.
I noticed a tall man walking past and, with a boldness that didn’t feel like my own, I approached him. “I’m a Christian missionary from America,” I said. “Can I tell you about Jesus?”
He stopped. Looked at me. And answered in English, “Yes! I came here to buy drugs. I keep telling people I want to stop, but no one listens. I need to hear this.”
The Holy Spirit led me to share my testimony, including how I had been set free from drug addiction. Right there in that park, Mariano gave his life to Jesus.
That was not my confidence, cleverness, or boldness. That was the Holy Spirit keeping His promise to give me the words I need when I need them.
About an hour later, the interpreter I was working with found me. She had seen Mariano again, standing in another part of the park, looking up at the sky with a wide, unguarded smile, like someone who had just discovered freedom and couldn’t help but respond in worship.
Turns out, being “ready” isn’t the requirement. Being willing is. Give yourself over to the Holy Spirit and let Him take the lead, be a willing vessel, and watch Him keep His promises.
Adam Phillips, Great Oak Missions
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