Evangelization on Autopilot
When you’re committed to expanding God’s kingdom, evangelization is a constant presence in your minds. It’s something we feel called to do, yet often, we make it more complicated than it needs to be.
The first and most important truth we must embrace is this: it is God who converts hearts, not us. At best, we are instruments of His will, tools He uses for His work. We often overthink our role in the mission—wondering if we said the right thing or did the right thing. When we do this, we lose sight of the foundational truth that only God can touch the hearts of men.
In other words, if we exert our own effort to ‘convert’ those around us, our actions are futile.
So, how do we evangelize?
The short answer is we must first convert the only thing we control: our own hearts.
Building the Track
Imagine that you are a locomotive.
Your will is the power that drives you. But you can’t go anywhere without a track. God provides the rails.
A solid track allows us to travel smoothly and reach our destination. A poorly built track is likely to leave you derailed — possibly even hurting the passengers. You are responsible to your passengers to ensure the train reaches the destination without getting derailed.
So, how do you build a strong track that will go the distance?
Prayer: Through prayer we converse with God. If you don’t speak with God, how can you know what He’s asking of you?
Confession & Examination: Daily examination and frequent confession allow you to return to God when you begin to fall away. They also help you make the necessary corrections to your path.
The Eucharist: Through the Eucharist, we bring God into our hearts. It is how we become the living Body of Christ. Without this, we have no strength — we are just fallen men with nothing because all our gifts come from God.
Silence and Reflection: Just as Elijah found God not in the wind or fire but in the still, small voice, we too must create space for silence. This is where we can truly hear God.
Notice something? These practices have nothing to do with others and everything to do with your relationship with God. Evangelization begins with your own conversion.
He will touch the hearts of those around you through you if you become as much like Christ as you can. If you ask God for the desire and grace to become like Christ, He will give it to you. You focus on using the tools and skills God gave you to build the track and operate it effectively, and He’ll handle the rest.
The Beauty of a Well-Ordered Life
A well-formed spiritual life is like a magnificent locomotive gliding through a barren landscape. It’s shiny, beautifully lit, and swift. People notice it. They’re drawn to its beauty, wondering what makes it so different from the desolation surrounding it. As they investigate, they discover that the source of its beauty is God.
You can extend this analogy to your business. A company with everything rightly ordered—operating ethically, prioritizing people, and staying true to your heavenly mission—becomes magnetic. Customers, employees, and investors are drawn to it. In the end, this attraction can lead more people to encounter God and the faith.
Automated Evangelization
This is the essence of what I call “automated evangelization.” Instead of stressing over daily strategies and worrying about whether you’re doing enough, focus on living your life in alignment with God. Cultivate your relationship with Him, and He will use you to touch the lives of others.
It’s simple. That’s the hard part. We often don’t like simplicity because there is no room for excuses. But once you embrace it, you’ll find that it’s not about what you do—it’s about who you are. Live rightly, stay close to God, and He will do the rest. The lives around you will change, not because of your effort, but because of the beauty of a life lived in union with Him.
So, let’s lay the track, fire up the locomotive, and trust in God to steer the journey. When we focus on our own spiritual life, we discover the most effective—and ‘effortless’—way to evangelize.