A civilized society would have figured all of this out already. Since ours is struggling, here is a list.

Seven things you need to hear but no one is saying.

1. If you are looking for a reason the world is against you, you can probably find one. Adapt.

2. Republicans are all heartless monsters and Democrats are all spendthrift statists. Arguing about it won’t help, so stop.

3. Drive on the right, pass on the left.

4. Total number of Facebook “friends” is inversely proportional to number of actual friends. Invest your time in real relationships.

5. A participation trophy belittles accomplishment and incents mediocrity. We aren’t fooling anyone, the kids still keep score.

6. If you recline your seat on an airplane you are selfish.

7. Very few souls are saved via twitter

All pretty basic advice, yet very little of it is heeded.

Few on the freeway know how to drive and social media is still rife with bible-beaters carpet bombing the internet with Proverbs.

Sharing scripture over social media may feel good, but it is less effective than a Jehovah’s Witness. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I haven’t seen too many Jehovah’s Witness mega churches around town.

Case in point is the last witness who stopped by my place. He accomplished two things. First he informed me that they have rebranded and call it JW now– wow, that’s hip! Secondly he invited me to a big JW meeting in my area. It turns out that “in my area” is Rochester (a scant 95-mile donkey ride away).

Why would I mock people trying to make good on the great commission?

First, you could argue it’s because I’m a sarcastic curmudgeon who hates uninvited guests at my door. You’d be about half right. But there is another reason. It’s because I think they are wasting their time.

We’ve likely all been handed a book of Mormon, or a copy of the Watchtower, yet none of us have converted. There is a good reason for that.

It is because Evangelism in 2014 requires more of a rifle than a shotgun.

If you think 100 doors slamming in your face is worth it to get one meaningful conversation out of the owner of the 101st, then JW.org is just a click away. Check it out, and then lose my address.

No, evangelism isn’t about beating the virtual or actual pavement; it is about living your life in a way that clearly has a different focus. Are you going to tell people, or are you going to show them? God did a lot of telling in the Old Testament and the results were pretty mixed. So He decided to go the other direction.

Bethlehem was the Missouri of bible times.

God wants you to follow suit. Faith may be a noun, but we need to convert it into an active verb. It isn’t something you have, it is something you DO. Do so and you will stand in sharp contrast to the world today and it will afford you an entry point to start a conversation.

This is meaningful Evangelism.

It’s hard and I suck at it, but it is important so we need to double down. The world is broken and needs a Savior. People are hungry for it. The key to sharing God is to become the salt and the light. If you get good at that, Evangelism won’t be something you do, but something you become.

Be the salt.

And stop reclining those airplane seats.