Sharing faith is done best in the context of caring relationships. Consider these examples...
John
1:40-51 Andrew brought his
brother Simon to Jesus; Philip invited his friend Nathaniel to “come and see.”
Mark
2:13-17 Levi invited tax collectors
and “sinners” to eat with Jesus.
Mark 5:19 Jesus told the man he healed of
demon-possession to go and tell his family about the Lord’s power and mercy.
John 4:1-42 Many Samaritans believed because of
a woman’s testimony.
Acts
10:24-44 Cornelius called together
his relatives and close friends to hear the Word of God from Peter.
Here are four ways to share confidently.
1. Accept people in Christian love. Acceptance doesn't mean condoning sin. It just means understanding their deeper need for Jesus and loving them in spite of their faults. That's how Jesus treats us. How can this practice of Christian love lead to sharing Jesus with someone?
2. Be interested in people who need Jesus. “You can make more friends in two months by becoming
interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other
people interested in you.” (Dale Carnegie)
How? Volunteer for community
projects/organizations/groups. Make connection
with people who have similar interests with you. If the only people
you know are active Christians, what can you do to get to know people who need
Jesus?
3. Help people in their everyday needs. Our actions testify to the power of God’s love working in
our lives. A kind word, a helpful deed, an unexpected gift are ways that we can
let our faith show and generate curiosity about “what makes us tick.”
Be alert to "times of transition" in the lives of
people you know. These are spans of time in
which a person's or family's normal, everyday life is
disrupted by some event that puts them into
an unfamiliar, and therefore often frightening, situation. What are some
examples of such times of transition? Why might people be somewhat more willing to listen to the
message of the Bible at such times?
4. Commit yourself to the Lord in
prayer. Ask him to help you be more confident about sharing
your faith. Pray for the knowledge you need for speaking about Jesus as the
world’s Savior. Pray that Christ give you a deep concern for the souls of all
people, but especially for the ones that you know personally. Ask God for the
privilege of being used by him to reach out with the gospel to those people who
need Jesus. Then get ready for the Lord to answer your prayer. Who can you pray for today?
