Question - WHY DO MANY BELIEVERS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SHARE THEIR FAITH?

One of the things many believers struggle with is sharing their faith,or witnessing to others. Many believers would rather do anything else instead of sharing their faith. Sharing our faith is something the Bible teaches is a responsibility for all believers - 1 Pet. 3:15 - “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (ESV).

We have a number of excuses we use: We’re not sure what to say, we don’t know how to begin the conversation, what if we mess it up somehow, we don’t want to offend anyone or make them mad. While we all agree that this is a command to all believers, we still struggle with carrying it out. Some studies have shown that over 80% of all believers have never shared their faith. Sharing our faith, the great burden of every burden, wanting desperately to share the gospel with people who don’t want to hear it…especially good people, and even more so, good people whom we care about. How can we overcome our fear and become comfortable with sharing our faith?

If we are fearful about witnessing, know that this fear doesn’t come from God. 2 Tim. 1:7 - “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind”. If we are fearful, recognize that fear has it’s source in Satan. Satan wants you to remain silent and fear is one of his best tools.

Here are some simple steps to replace our fear with a trust in God to guide and help us in carrying His command to share the gospel with others.

1. START WITH PRAYER - Start by praying for yourself! This is where it starts! In prayer ask God to stir your heart with a passion for lost souls. Ask God for strength to help you initiate a conversation with a person about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Ask God for wisdom in understanding how to effectively share your faith with others.

2. READ YOUR BIBLE - start with reading about the various occasions where the gospel was shared: Jesus Christ and the woman at the well (Jn. 4:1 - 26); Paul and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:15 - 34); the demon-possessed man (Lk. 8:26 - 39 - pay attention to vs. 39). These are just a few examples. The important thing to see is that none of these examples followed a pre-written or memorized script, they simply responded to the the opportunity before them. Every opportunity will be different because every person and situation is different. Spend enough time in the Word so that you become comfortable with the Word.

3. ALWAYS CONDUCT YOURSELF AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST - Phil. 1:27 - “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…”. It’s not enough to just “talk the talk”, but we must also “walk the walk” if we want others to listen to our testimony and take us serious. Our lifestyle must be in harmony our words. John 13:34 - 35 - “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciple, if you have love for one another”. Go back and read the account of Paul and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:22 - 32), why did the jailer ask Paul how to be saved? We must always be sure that our words and our actions are in harmony.

4. CONTINUE IN PRAYER - ask God to burden your heart for a specific individual (s) and then ask for an opportunity to share your faith with that person. God will help you recognize when an opportunity has arrived. Lam. 3:51 - “My eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the daughters of my city” (ESV). This verse reflects the deep emotional and spiritual anguish experienced by Jeremiah over his country men. Paul also experienced this same sorrow over his countrymen (Rom. 9:1 - 3). The eyes are often seen as the windows to the soul, and here they are instruments of sorrow. What do you see when you look at the people around you?

5. DEVELOP A HEART FOR PEOPLE - it’s easy to go through our day in a rush to get everything done that we barely notice the many people that God puts in our path every day. Make it a point to acknowledge people you encounter each day (the grocery clerk, your neighbor, the bank teller, etc). Smile and ask how their day is going, pay attention to people, listen to what they say. Engage people - end conversations with a “God bless you”. You never know how a smile and a kind word can open up a door to give you an opportunity to talk about Jesus. You’re not looking for a chance to power bomb them with the gospel, you’re just seeking an opportunity to bring Christ into the conversation.

6. TAKE THE EASY WAY - an easy way to grow more comfortable with talking to people about spiritual things is to invite someone to come to church with you! The simple (and easy) act of inviting someone to come to church with you to church can open the door to deeper conversations about spiritual matters. Invite them to church services, special events. You can even offer to pick them up if necessary.

7. BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS - person-to-person conversations aren’t the only way to share your faith. Type your testimony of how you came to know Christ as your Savior and then ask a friend to proofread it for you. They’re just doing you a favor, but at the same time they are hearing about your journey in finding Christ. You can use social media to share your faith/promote Jesus Christ. You can also utilize tracts as a witnessing tool. An excellent tract is called, “A Tip for You”. When you dine out and when you leave, you slip your tip inside the tract for your server, it conveys the plan of salvation in a very simple way. As you begin to broaden your horizons you’ll be amazed at all the different ways you’ll find to share your faith!

8. CONTINUE IN PRAYER - begin to compile a list of people you know who need to accept Christ as their Savior. Prayer for each one, by name, every day!

9. ALWAYS BE GRACIOUS AND KIND WHEN YOU SHARE YOUR FAITH - some believers come across as brash, others will use scare tactics - these and other similar approaches can cause more harm and turn people off to future opportunities to hearing the gospel. Always strive to be gracious and kind! Isa. 50:4 0 “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak. A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned”. Ps. 19:14 - “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer”. Deal with people in such a way that will we be willing to listen to you again. Let the Word and the Holy Spirit do its work (Rom. 1:16).

10. LET THE LORD DO HIS WORK - it may take some time for a person to come to a place where they realize they are lost and need the Lord. 1 Cor. 3:5 - 8 - “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord fave to each one? I planted, Apollos water, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor”. It is the believer’s duty to plant and water the Word, but it is God who saves the lost person. True wisdom includes understanding when to speak, when to remain silent, and how to show compassion, without neglecting the commission to spread the gospel.

11. GROW, DEVELOP, AND BECOME MORE RESPONSIVE - as you grow and develop your heart for sharing the gospel, you’ll find yourself more responsive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in using the opportunities He puts in your path every day to share the gospel. Paul encourages the Galatians (and us) to “stay in step” with the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16). God will supply you with the courage, wisdom, and opportunity you’ll need!

A closing thought - Matt. 10:16 - “Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves”. Jesus is instructing His disciples on how to behave in their ministry. He also warns them they were being sent out “like sheep among wolves”. Always share God’s Word truthfully and graciously. Imagine a fly lands on your spouse’s forehead - do you use a fly swatter or a hatchet to get it? Both will get the job done, but one will have grave results. Mt. 5:16 - “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”.

Leading someone to Christ is the greatest accomplishment you can have in this life, for it is an accomplishment that lasts for eternity! Nothing else we accomplish in this life can compare to that!