So, picture this: I’m a Bible College student, young & eager, sitting in a class where the professor drops this assignment on us—go out & share your faith with 3 people & then report back. I’m thinking, “Uh, who am I supposed to talk to? Everyone I know is a Bible College student too.” So, a classmate & I decide to go to the mall, figuring we’ll just walk up to strangers. It was a total flop. I was nervous, & pretty sure I chickened out almost entirely. How do you talk to a stranger about making the most important decision they’ll ever make? It was awkward & uncomfortable.
Yet, Jesus commands us to go everywhere & declare the Good News to everyone (Mark 16:15). That’s not just for preachers or super-Christians. We’re each called to influence our own little corners of the world, whether it’s coworkers, classmates, neighbors, or that server who knows your coffee order by heart. Christ has commissioned us to be His ambassadors, imploring people to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:11-20).
Those who aren’t Christian might wonder why their Christian friends keep trying to insert God into conversations or keep inviting them to church. They might say, “Look, I have my beliefs, & you have yours, & I would never try to convert you to my way.” But we can’t help it—not because we’re arrogant or disrespectful of others’ beliefs, but because we DO want them to find what we’ve found. It’s inherent in our faith to share our faith. What we’ve found is of such eternal significance that we can’t NOT share it. There’s something terribly wrong with the faith of a Christian who doesn’t feel compelled to tell others.
At the heart of it is God’s love. Jesus came to earth, laid down His life, & paid for our sins so we could be forgiven & reconciled to God. If you’ve experienced that kind of love, you know it’s something you can’t keep to yourself. Christ’s love compels us (2 Cor. 5:14). It’s the best news in the world & everybody needs to hear it. We believe Jesus when He says He is the only way to heaven (John 14:6)! Not just A way, or even the BEST way. He is THE way. So people actually NEED him & the salvation only He can offer. Wouldn’t it be unloving NOT to let them know, just because it may feel awkward or uncomfortable as we break out of our comfort zones?
If someone hadn’t shared the Good News with you, you’d still be lost. And the only reason your heart’s still beating after you come to Christ is because God wants you to share it with people who haven’t heard. If you’re able to stop people in the mall, go door-to-door, set up a table on a university campus, or stand on a street corner with a bullhorn—& be effective—more power to you! But for everyone else, it’s more about being honest about who we are—that Jesus is the center of my life, & I’m not going to hide that. It’s also about earning trust through your friendship.
Paul says his method was to try to find common ground with everyone so that he might bring them to Christ (1 Cor 9:19-23). He didn’t compromise his faith, but he put himself in their shoes, met them where they were, & earned the right to be heard. That’s the goal—not to be fake, but to genuinely care about people & share Jesus in a way that makes sense to them.
We want to take as many people to heaven with us as we can, & make it hard to go to hell! That’s why each of us will continue till the day we die to reach “one more for Jesus” (Luke 15:3-7). So here’s a little challenge: think about 1 person in your life who doesn’t know Jesus. Invest in that relationship, & when the time’s right, share what Jesus means to you. When you’re in a conversation, you can ask God to give you an opportunity to turn the conversation to spiritual things.
Maybe talk about your church background as kids, or about something going on in the news (maybe in the Middle East while staying out of political arguments), or the moral problems of the age, or if there’s been a recent death, or some kind of family problems in the person’s life. Maybe start talking about prayer, or how you’ve handled struggles. Then you say something like, “You know, I’ve been a follower of Christ for a while now. Would you like to know more about what that means?”
Can we reverse the principle of business that says a satisfied customer will tell only 1 or 2 people, while a dissatisfied customer will tell 7 or more people? If you’re satisfied with Christ (& the church), then tell lots of people!