Why Don’t I Share My Faith?

“The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose.” – C.S. Lewis. 

I have never talked to a Christian who does not strongly believe in the great commission and the importance of sharing their faith with those far from the heart of God. They believe they should be sharing their faith, and what’s more they want to do it. And they tell me so in emphatic terms. But invariably, somewhere in the conversation there is a “but.” And those “buts” are the reason people hesitate.

The first but, or hesitation, is the belief that sharing the gospel is reserved for spiritual superstars or people with outgoing, charismatic personalities. You don’t have to be D.L Moody or Andy Stanley to share your faith. God uniquely made each one of us to share His love in our own way. It is a mistake to think that the power resides in the messenger. The Bible says the power is in the message and not in the messenger.

“But… sharing my faith is a one-time event and what if I screw it up.” As we have said on many occasions, evangelism is a process. In addition, you can be assured that it’s never entirely up to us share the gospel with someone. God is always orchestrating the process and usually there are several other believers who are also involved in some way. 

“But you obviously don’t know my Uncle Frank or my neighbor. They can’t even be civil, let alone come to Christ.” We are underestimating God. God desires that all people be saved. He deeply and passionately loves everyone, even Uncle Frank. And God is not limited to what we think is possible. Remember that before Paul came to know and serve Christ, he was one of biggest persecutors of the Christian church and the most unlikely candidate to serve God.

I understand we all have some concerns when it comes to sharing our faith. But, let’s say this: There is no guarantee of success. The fact is that we will never know enough and that there is no perfect way to do it. We just need to get out there and tell the world about Jesus. Remember that those who come to Christ are called by Christ. We are simply the messenger God uses.

When the religious leaders asked Peter and John, two of Jesus’ disciples, to stop speaking about Jesus, they replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20). Their hearts were filled with awe for Jesus and His work for them; thus, there was no way they could be silent. My prayer is we too will be in awe to the point that it enable us to overcome our fears and concerns and share our faith.

Discussion Question:

1. What fears do have about sharing your faith?
2. What can you do this week to overcome those fears?