It may all happen in a split second, with the slightest loss of steering control or focus by a speeding vehicle at the traffic light. Suddenly, the struggles of life, the labour and toil to earn a living and care for a family, may come to an abrupt end. These are some of the dangers and fears that hawkers at traffic lights face each day.
However, the greater question is not whether such tragedies can happen, but when they do, where will the soul of the departed spend eternity?
Our responsibility as soul winners is not only to help prevent physical calamities but also to prevent the greatest calamity of all—the eternal separation of the unsaved soul from God, the calamity of eternal punishment of the unsaved soul in hell fire.
This is the reason we seize every opportunity to share the gospel with hawkers at traffic lights while also encouraging them to observe safety precautions.
One of the least considered target places for evangelism are street hawkers at traffic lights. We should intentionally take it up to use the few minutes of engagement at traffic lights to share the gospel with the hawkers.
How Do We Do It?
The average duration of the green light at many major traffic intersections may be about three minutes. This period may seem too short to share an evangelistic message, but when it comes to translating a soul from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, three minutes can be more than enough.
When the traffic light turns red, hawkers move along the lanes of the road to sell their goods to motorists. They come close to our windows and interact with us.
Then, when the light turns green, there is often a rush of vehicles eager to avoid the next red light.
During these intervals, some hawkers rest briefly at nearby bus stops. Yet, these few minutes present a divine opportunity for heaven to rejoice over another soul won for Christ. We use this time to share the message of salvation, giving them the opportunity to believe in the Son of God and receive the greatest life insurance of all—eternal life in Christ Jesus (John 3:16).
A three-minute encounter can change both destinies and destinations.
We can also intentionally use the moments when the traffic lights are red and the hawkers approach our car windows to share the love of Christ and the message of the gospel. For how can they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? (Romans 10:14).
As children of God and witnesses of the Cross, we do not always need hours to win a soul. The minute count of a traffic light may be enough to snatch an unsaved soul from destruction.
Our responsibility is to plant the seed; however, it is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to convict, convince, and convert based on the seed we have planted (John 16:8–11). In all these, we should let prayer be the foundation and heed the leading of the Spirit. Just as it may take less than one minute to plant a seed into the soul, the outcome of the seed planted is not comparable to the time taken to plant it. Let’s plant the seed of salvation. Let us do the work of an evangelist. Let us fulfil the Great Commission.
Written By Pastor Solomon Anderson (HUM Pastor – Ashaiman Sector)
