Jesus has called on everyone who follows Him to take the Gospel message to the world. Yet recent studies show that only two percent of evangelical Christians actually evangelize. What stops us from sharing our faith with others? One of the main reasons is that few people enjoy conflict. We want to get along with others, and it is much easier to stick to topics where we can agree, or at least pretend to agree. But is that what is stopping you from sharing your faith? For many people, the fear of rejection hinders them from sharing their faith. Others just like Moses believe that they are not worthy of sharing the word of God. Let us look at some of the reasons that stop Christians from sharing their faith:
A Fear of Failure
Many of us are afraid that they will fail at sharing the gospel because the listener might reject Christ’s message. What will others think of me? What if they don’t like me or my family? Some are paralyzed by the thought of being disliked, marginalized, laughed at, or openly mocked. We’re afraid we’ll lose business or get passed up for that promotion In order to conquer the fear of failure and start sharing your faith with others you must understand what Jesus requires of you. The world may try to shoot the messenger, but remember that the gospel is Christ’s invitation to receive His forgiveness. Not yours. Successfully sharing your faith with someone doesn’t hinge on the hearer’s response, but your willingness to communicate the gospel. So invite others to receive Christ’s forgiveness of sin, and leave the results to God.
Unable to Communicate the Gospel
Another reason cited by many Christians is that they are unable to communicate the gospel. Communication only takes place if the listener receives the message. We must consider the barriers, such as time, culture, and language, which might keep us from communicating the gospel in a way that the listener can understand. Having a rock solid understanding of the gospel and knowledge of the listener’s culture will help us take advantage of every opportunity to share the gospel and contextualize the message when necessary.
Waiting for the “Perfect” Moment
Other Christians are patiently waiting for the perfect moment to share their faith. However, there is no “perfect moment” to share the gospel, the gospel is offensive, and so it’ll always feel risky to share it. Waiting for the ideal moment won’t make it any more appealing to your audience. Now, there may not be a perfect moment, but there’s definitely a right moment to share the gospel. When is the right moment? The “right” moment may be the moment you have right now or the moment when the listener is receptive and humble.
Feeling Disqualified
This begs the question, should our lives compliment the message of the gospel? The example of the Samaritan woman at the well should help address our fear of being disqualified. She was an adulterous woman who opened her heart to Christ and later went to evangelize to the whole village about Christ. What matters is whether we accept the message and are willing to share it with the whole world.
People will despise us on account of Christ, but grounding our identity in Jesus and growing in our understanding of just how much He loves and treasures us will bring us peace, even when it feels like the entire world is against us. So share the gospel. You really have no idea what kind of impact your compassion and courage will have on the listener. I think that Christ wanted us to experience sharing the gospel the same way He did: on the receiving end of toil and tears; and freely sacrificing Himself. So if you want to share the gospel build genuine relationships with Christians and non-Christians alike, and love them for real.
The good news is that as you continue to share your faith a regular basis, you get better at it. It becomes more natural. Slowly that nervous pressure you used to feel melts away as you continuously meditate on the gospel and hone your delivery. You embrace the rhythm of each unique conversation and instinctively know through the Spirit’s guidance which truths of the gospel to emphasize according to the listener’s need. It’s no longer about surviving the conversation but delivering a valuable message to someone who desperately needs to hear of the unfailing love of Christ.