“All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to Himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message He has given us to tell others.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

Do you know or can you sense, when that special opportunity comes for you to share your faith with someone whose path you may cross? Not as a big planned project or performance, but just simply being available to the Lord’s will and call anytime and anywhere. Simply sharing what you know about Jesus, and what He’s done for you. (2 Corinthians 4:5). The Holy Spirit working through you, giving you what to say and how to say it. It could even be done over wine!

“We don’t go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord.”

While flying back home from Georgia, I was enjoying the plane ride. A young man seated next to me was reading and studying some papers pulled from his briefcase. While eating airline snacks, we began to engage in conversation. He asked about California, and I shared a little about it. He shared that he had to fly into San Francisco for his job, and he was to be at a winery in the Napa Valley for a meeting the next day.

He asked if I drank wine and my response was, “For communion I do.” He then responded back with a smile and began to share his memories with me of him serving communion as a child. He then asked, “Are you one of those ‘new’ Christians?” and He shared that he was not.

The Holy Spirit gave me the opportunity to share with him a little about my upbringing, and how one day I had become a born-again Christian. This was a time of me simply sharing the message in this scripture. “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Sharing our faith with unbelievers is what we as believers have been called to do. God has given us the privilege of being His ambassadors in this world. While writing this, I couldn’t help but think of the joy and delight that comes when sharing my faith. We don’t have all of the answers and responses for people that we cross paths with, but we can simply share what the Holy Spirit gives us, remember to pray for them, and leave the rest to God.

To share on this plane with this stranger is something I will never forget. I don’t even know that persons name, but God does!

Over the last few months, I’ve had the opportunity to speak at several Sunday morning worship gatherings. Recently, I was thinking about one when a guy fell asleep (I’m pretty sure before I took the stage — I hope…) during the service.

It was a wide room, and he was a rather large man, seated somewhere in the middle. In otherwords, it was impossible to miss him as I would scan the audience to make eye contact.

I won’t lie. Deep inside, something in me wanted to stop what I was talking about and ask someone to wake Church Sleeping Man up. When I would raise my voice a bit to make a point, I would focus right on him, hoping he’d snap out of it.

Nothing.

He was practically in a coma.

When I travel, I spend a lot of time in reflection on my flight home. I usually don’t read or write, but pop in my earbuds to some Album Leaf, Explosions in the Sky (sounds like a death wish, I know), or Sigur Ros. No real lyrics, just music and mumblings. I allow myself to nod off a bit into that lucid state where I’m able to just allow thoughts to enter, I process them, and tuck them away.

On this flight home, I found myself not being able to move on from Church Sleeping Man.

Now, I don’t know Church Sleeping Man personally. And what I feel inside (I’m tempted to call it anger, but am too chicken to actually do so) isn’t directed specifically at him. But I do find myself getting really, really upset.

Because Church Sleeping Man represents so much of our culture today. Although we may not actually fall asleep during a church service, many of us are sleepwalking in our faith.

Myself included.

God has so many words for us to hear, so many opportunities to pursue, so many visions to chase, so many people to love, so many lives we can physically save with the resources we have and yet…

We sleep.

We live for the moments when we find ourselves alive, awake, and fulfilling a purpose. But those moments have become special because they are exceptions to our normally sleepy lives.

Sure, we dream a lot…but what do we do with those dreams after we wake up?

I truly believe that God has wired humanity the other way around. When our norm is constantly living in that state of being alive – fully, abundantly. While we’re asleep — and dare I say it…only dreaming — we are being robbed of our very purpose in life.

Anne Jackson is author, speaker, and transformational activist who lives in the Nashville area with her husband, Chris. Her highly-anticipated book, Mad Church Disease – Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic (Zondervan) released in February 2009. Her next book is due to be out in Fall 2010.