Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is
instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to
the company of Jesus. -Elton Trueblood
If you are like me, you probably feel somewhat inadequate at spreading the message of the Gospel. I have always felt like I need to be a pro at something before I attempt it, so I often research and research before I try anything. But I think I am not alone in my insecurity of spreading the message of salvation through Christ, because I think many Christians get frozen by insecurity.
God calls for all of us to go forth and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Easier said than done! It is so much easier to just conduct life without the awkwardness of sharing the Gospel. I mean, I can screw up telling someone the weather or a news story, but to screw up the Gospel could be the matter of life and death for someone!
But there is some hope for us. God does not expect us to be perfect, and make believers out of everyone we meet. In fact, Jesus himself didn't make believers out of everyone he met. What me need to remember is that we are working in partnership with God. He has to open someone's eyes in awareness of him before the Gospel will really reach them. It is not our job to make believers out of people, but simply to share the message of the Gospel. After we share it, it is God's job to move in the heart of that person and either bring them to him or not.
So don't get frozen. Don't worry about rejection. The message of the gospel is powerful, but it takes an opening of the heart to truly understand it. Bringing someone to Christ is a process, not an occasion, and God plays an essential role in that process. And so do you and I.
Thank you Amy. I have recently been praying for boldness because I have felt so paralysed in this area in the past.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere the other day that we are often more afraid of offending people than we are of offending God by our silence. That convicted me heaps :)