Thoughts for Those Who Struggle with Evangelizing

If you’ve ever wrestled with the idea of sharing your faith with those around you, let me assure you you’re not alone.

As an introvert, I’ve spent years of my life trying to fly under
the radar and to avoid having awkward or confrontational conversations about
faith. Yet when I got serious about my faith several years ago, I felt the
Spirit burdening my heart for the lost.

I still think I’m a lousy evangelist, but I’ve learned a few
things I think will be a source of encouragement to you in your pursuit to tell
others about Jesus.

Two Truths about Evangelism

Before we proceed, let’s get a couple of things out in the
open.

1. Sharing our faith is a critical component
of the Christian life.

A recent Barna study found
that only 64% of Christians believe it is the responsibility of every Christian
to share his or her faith with others, a 25% drop from the same question asked
25 years prior.

But the Bible is clear on evangelism. Take Matthew 28:19 for example. Jesus said, “Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

And consider 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, which reads, “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself … and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”

These are just two of many passages promoting evangelism. God
has entrusted us with the message of reconciliation, and it’s our job to
represent Jesus and carry that message to the world.

2. We cannot save anyone.

Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit. This doesn’t mean we
shouldn’t try our best to lead people to Jesus, it just means the decision is
between the person and God. Our job is to present the decision to the
unbeliever. It is up to him or her to respond.

Four Things to Help You Evangelize

With those two foundations in place, here are some practical
steps for sharing the gospel:

1. Practice Empathy

Just after Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Lord wept over the city. He knew the devastation that would come because of the messianic misconceptions held by the Jewish people, and it broke His heart. He wept for the people because He had the peace they were looking for, but they rejected Him (See Luke 19).

Effective evangelism begins with empathy. Jesus cried because
He truly cared about people. They weren’t just a checkbox on His list or an
annoying obligation He had to fulfill. These were real people who needed Him
for life.

2. Pray

Prayer could be an item on just about any checklist, but it
is especially critical here. Approach God in the following ways and see what
happens.

Ask Him to open your eyes to opportunities to share your
worldview or invite others to church. Pray for those at work and school whom
you know need Jesus. Ask the Spirit to prepare their hearts to be receptive to
the gospel. Pray that you will receive the right words to say when the time
comes.

3. Live with Integrity

Your lifestyle is the best conversation starter you can ever
have. When others might fudge on their timesheets but you accurately record
your time, people will notice. When you tell the truth even to your detriment,
people will take note. When you show kindness to someone who doesn’t deserve
it, others will wonder what’s going on.

When they ask you why you act the way you do, then tell them
the truth!

4. Invite People to Church

Inviting people to church is the easiest way to introduce them
to Christ. If you’ve been in church for even a little while, I bet you have
felt the Spirit move in the service. Your pastor spends all week in preparation
and prayer for the service; he is God’s mouthpiece for delivering the gospel.

Some might bristle at this suggestion, claiming that
invitation is not evangelism or that doing so is a copout for our personal responsibility
to share Jesus.

Invitation isn’t the only way we should share Jesus, but it
is a great place to start, especially if you’ve never shared your faith before.
Sometimes a simple invite is a way to break the ice to have conversations about
Jesus.

Once, I invited a co-worker to my church. He asked, “Why
would I go to church?” I told him he could learn more about Jesus, and then we
had a conversation about my faith.

Not Sure Where to Start?



1.) Use Your Own Story

Using your own story is one of the most powerful ways to
share Jesus.

My wife and I fostered and eventually adopted two boys who
had been removed from their parents’ home. When people ask about our experience,
I get to use that story as a way to tell them about God and the work He’s done
in our lives. Some have told me, “You saved those boys’ lives.” And I like to say,
“No, God did.”

Every Christian has a story she can tell. I used to think I had
no story since I grew up in the church and I surrendered my life to Jesus at a
young age. But that’s just a lie the devil likes to tell to keep us quiet.

As Erin K. Casey wrote in her book, Get
Personal: The Importance of Sharing Your Faith Story, “Your story is
not really about you; it’s about God. . . Your story is simply a way for people
to see God more clearly.”

2.) Use Open

Unlocking the Bible has put together a free website that enables Christians to share the God of the Bible with others. It has 50 sessions that take a comprehensive journey through the Bible story, showing how it all points to Jesus Christ.

Check it out, and consider inviting someone you know to go through it with you!

Photo Credit: Unsplash