By Alea Anderson
I was known as the quiet kid growing up. I was never the one to raise my hand when a teacher asked the class a question or offered to lead small groups in our class projects. When I took my required public speaking class, I struggled through every speaking assignment. It’s only by God’s grace that I passed that class with a B! This introverted nature followed me well into my college years and revealed itself often in my Christian walk, but never outside of the occasional request to open in prayer at a life group or briefly read a verse or two in Bible study. This was all until God’s still, small voice convicted me, “Go and win the lost.”
The four Gospels record an important commandment that was to the believer by Jesus. He says, “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.” (ESV) What comes to mind as you read Jesus’ words, called “the Great Commission?” Do fear and intimidation fill you as they did me? Or maybe the opposite happens—does the thought of telling others about Jesus excite you? Whatever end of the scale you’re on, here are a few keys to sharing your faith with boldness.
Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”
You Have Everything You Need
Starting to share my faith with others or evangelizing took me longer than I’d like to admit—mainly because I felt I was ill-equipped. Yes, I have a relationship with God, but I am far from an evangelist or Bible scholar! I didn’t understand that evangelizing is not based on how much you know, but rather, on the One you know. God’s given us His Holy Spirit who gives us the words to say and brings all things back to our remembrance. (Luke 12:12, John 14:26) It’s the Holy Spirit inside of us Who qualifies us to share the Gospel, not how much knowledge we think we’ve gained—although knowledge can be helpful sometimes! That said, regardless of how you feel, if the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, you have everything you need to begin! Even if all you know is John 3:16, start with what you have, and God will help you grow as you spend time with Him in His Word and in prayer. Sometimes Christians (myself included) over-complicate things.
Though I lacked confidence when I started sharing my faith, I used a script that helped me. I was shocked to see so many people receptive to hearing the Gospel and receiving Jesus through this one simple, powerful tool! I then followed up by inviting them to my church. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (ESV) And Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:7, “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God that gives the growth.” The emphasis here is on God and His ability to save. So, while it is our responsibility to sow seeds of the Gospel in the hearts of others and water them, God is ultimately the One that produces salvation in the life of that individual. There is no pressure to perform, we simply share the Gospel and watch God do the rest of the work!
Focus on Jesus
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If you’re anything like me, talking to strangers generally doesn’t exactly get you excited. Let me let you in on a little secret—it doesn’t have to! Sharing the Gospel is a byproduct of truly loving Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you. (John 14:15) Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Notice that the first fruit of the Spirit listed here is love. Because the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, He gives you the supernatural ability to love others just as Jesus does. In evangelizing, you’ll feel the love of God rising within you for others, and this love grows more and more the closer you get to God. God has given us everything we need to fulfill His heart’s desires. Hebrews 2:12 speaks of a joy that was set before Jesus and the reason He endured the cross: “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” What was this “joy” that motivated Jesus to die such a painful death? It was you and the countless other precious children of God who would be saved. For each lost soul you win to Jesus, you are adding to His joy—what a privilege!
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Let me encourage you—no matter who you are, if you’re a Christian, you can and should lead people to Jesus! Jesus is coming back soon, and He wants heaven filled with every son and daughter possible. (Luke 21:28) It’s up to you and me as the Church to go out into the harvest fields and share the Gospel so that Jesus can continually reap the reward of His suffering and come to call His Bride home. (Matthew 24:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:17)