 |
| "Anxiety" conscioussolutions.com.au |
"Lord, don't make me stand on the street corner with a floppy Bible, accosting people with, 'Are you born again?'"
It was a reasonable prayer for a new Christian--at least I thought so at the time. I had no idea how to go about witnessing. I knew sharing the Good News of forgiveness through Jesus was asked of all Christians, but actually doing it scared the words right out of my head.
I don't think I am alone with those fears. Many Christians face the same anxieties about witnessing.
While there is no “right” way to witness, there are principles from Scripture that can help us spread seeds of faith with less anxiety.
- “Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the
hope you have in you.” (1 Peter 3:15) Prepare. Reading and
studying our Bibles, talking to God regularly, and getting together with
other believers will prepare us to share our faith. 2 Peter 3:18
encourages us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. Understanding the basics of our Christian faith can go a
long way in easing our fears. So can writing out the story of how we came
to know Jesus and practicing telling it.
- “In the name of the Lord, tell them not to argue over words that
are not important. It helps no one and it hurts the faith of those who are
listening.” (2
Timothy 2:14) Don’t argue. Witnessing is not about proving people
wrong. It is about showing what faith does. What people ultimately need is
not a clever argument, but to hear what we have experienced by following Jesus.
- “The righteous person is a guide to his friend . . .” (Proverbs
12:26a) Share with a friend. People we know are more
likely to listen to what we have to say. We can talk to them about stuff
that matters to them, and in turn, chat with them about things that are
important to us, like our relationship with God.
- “The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.” (James 5:16b) Get
prayer support. There is a certain peace that comes with knowing someone
else has your back. Prayer prepares not only us, but also the person with
whom we are talking.
- “And when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove to the people of
the world that they are wrong about sin and about what is right and about
God's judgment.” (John 16:8) Our task is to share about Jesus as clearly
as we can, and then let the Holy Spirit work. We have to realize that the
person may not be ready to become a Christian right at that moment.
Have you noticed how often I have used the
word “share” in talking about witnessing? Witnessing is not a lecture or
a sermon. It is simply relating our experiences as a Christian while talking
with someone who has expressed an interest in hearing about them.
What do we do if the person we are talking
with asks, “How I do become a Christian?” The easiest way is to use a simple illustration
like the Roman Road, or a Salvation/Witness Bracelet available from Shine
in the Dark Ministries.
Doesn’t witnessing seem less daunting now? Let’s pray up, gear up and
speak up so we can “. . . Proclaim his
greatness; tell the nations what he has done.” (Psalm 105:1)
Blessings!
Pam©2014 Pamela D. Williams
