In my talk the other night, my first reason why we don’t cultivate Gospel relationships is that we really don’t know or understand who other people truly are.

I used Genesis 2:4-8 and simply posed this question: “What do you see when you look upon another person?” Do you see a masterpiece created in God’s image? Do you see someone who was formed by God himself and who breathes with the very breath of God?

Or do you see an annoying person taking too long to bring your food - or ring up your purchase - or driving too slow.

Because how you answer that question will give you a lot of insight into why you don’t have a lot of friends who don’t know Jesus. If you fundamentally don’t see people as divinely valuable, you’ll never stop to ask them their name. You’ll never stop to hear their story. You’ll never stop to ask you can be of service to them. You’ll never stop to ask how you can pray for them. You’ll never truly care about them.

And then when you do engage in evangelism it’ll be because you want to ease your guilty conscience, not because you see the tragedy of one of God’s masterpieces being thrown into the fire and lost forever. You’ll care more about yourself than you do about them. Which is why you’re not cultivating Gospel relationships in the first place.