Week 2 – Contagious Faith

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 

1 Corinthians 11:1

My daughter-in-love, Taylor, came into our family many years ago. She was broken and guarded, with thick walls up, as well as unfamiliar with the love of Jesus. I shared the gospel with her, but there was no affirmation of faith. So, I prayed for her for years and decided to show her the love of Jesus through my actions, not just my words. There were many times I felt like none of my living gestures were being received or appreciated. As the years passed, her walls appeared to remain as thick and as high as ever. BUT GOD!!!

Recently, I noticed that Taylor had a “glow” on her face, and over the next few days, the “glow” remained. I asked if she was using a new skincare product, and even inquired if she was pregnant. She laughed and said no.  One evening, I was led to stop by her home and take her to dinner. At dinner, the Lord prompted me to ask her, once again, where she was in her faith (it had been a while since we’d had that conversation). Taylor nonchalantly shared that she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior! I was shocked, ecstatic, and also very curious about what led her to make the decision. She explained that while watching a sermon, the truth about Jesus suddenly “clicked”, and she fully accepted that Jesus is Lord! The next thing she said nearly brought me to tears: “I’ve been watching you and Frank.” (Frank is my husband.) Watching me and Frank? The reality of what she said slowly sank in. She was watching to see if our faith was genuine. Praise God and Wow!!! Of course, Frank and I take no credit for “saving her”. The Lord had been calling her long before Frank and I entered her life, just as He calls all of us, and it is only the Lord who saved her. But that God allowed Frank and me to be any part of her road to salvation is genuinely humbling.

God reminded me of how I came to faith in Jesus. For years, he had been trying to get my attention in many ways, but I disregarded every person and situation he sent my way. Before getting married, I lived with Frank’s Christian relatives,  Aunt Lynette and Uncle Jerry. I was a non-believer and observed them with a suspicious yet curious heart, having only encountered hypocritical Christians up to that point. But in observing them, I discovered something refreshingly different: they were loving, kind, generous, hospitable—and, most importantly, consistent in their faith. I heard how they praised and worshiped God. I saw them share the goodness of God in their lives. I witnessed them earnestly pray for others and trust God to answer. Their faith was contagious, and it led me to Jesus.

Over thirty years later, it is an honor and a privilege that Frank and I, like Aunt Lynette and Uncle Jerry, have been able to live out our faith in a way that helped our daughter-in-love, Taylor, see Jesus in us. We are far from perfect, and we love Jesus wholeheartedly and attempt to live intentional, authentic Christian lives. Our goal is to proclaim the goodness of God in all we do and give Him the glory for all He has done.

Rahab the prostitute, in Joshua 2:9-11, came to faith because she heard about the power and faithfulness of God in Israel. She heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to escape Pharaoh. She heard how God defeated the two Amorite kings. Rahab heard about God’s goodness and wanted to follow Him. Just hearing of God’s goodness can create a contagious faith.

Ruth was a Moabite who was not raised to believe in the God of Israel, but something changed after marrying Naomi’s son, Mahlon. Naomi’s faith and love for God must have been undeniable,  because after her husband Mahlon’s untimely death, Ruth declared to Naomi: “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.” (Ruth 1:16–17, NIV) Naomi exhibited such a strong faith that her daughter-in-law was determined to follow her, despite an uncertain future. Naomi’s faith was contagious!

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV): “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”  We are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are also called to share the gospel of Jesus—that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day.

Sharing the gospel doesn’t mean beating someone over the head again and again. It means sharing when the Holy Spirit leads us, praying that hearts are softened to accept the truth, and loving others the way Jesus does. If we truly live this way, people can “catch” our faith without us even realizing it—because our faith will be contagious.