Notice I said “tried.” We are supposed to obey God, rather than people, when there is a difference between the two. (Acts 5:29) The prophet Amos compared God’s Word to the roar of a lion. Once it roared, a person would naturally be afraid. In the same way, once God had spoken, it was natural that Amos could do nothing but repeat what God told him. (Amos 3:8) And, we are commanded to tell others about Jesus and never to hide it. “If the Gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” (2 Corinthians 4:3) It is God that does the saving, but He uses us to do the telling.
She could not have been forced. However, she would have felt huge pressure, if that was the case. Not only that, she’d have been risking her son’s soul. He’d be just as likely to turn to his dad and reject God.
We are supposed to be effective witnesses. That means that our actions should be respectful. There is a proper time and place for everything. We should worship God and serve Him with all our heart. But, we should do so with a spirit of gentleness and mercy. We should never be pushovers, doing only what the world says. But, we should be in prayer always, and sense when the right time is to give the Gospel, and to let them have a chance to accept it. This is one of many reasons the Bible commands us to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
