Sharing Our Story

     I was reading a good article this morning about the exclusivity of the claims of Jesus in the Bible.  The point of the article was that, in our increasingly pluralistic society, the idea that there is only one way to Heaven and thus to God is becoming an increasingly offensive view.  You can read the article here.  Toward the end of the article, the author reminds us that we must still engage our culture and share the truth about Jesus.  As I thought about it, I was reminded of a 3 part series of posts that I published elsewhere some time back.  I'd like to re-post them here partly for your encouragement and partly for a reminder for myself.  I'll put them here today and the next couple of weeks.  I hope it's a help to you.

     There is perhaps no greater area of conflict within the average Christian than the conflict between enjoying their relationship with Jesus; knowing that friends and family members need to have this relationship and the actual experience of sharing their faith; seeking to lead those around them to understand the gospel and embrace the Jesus they love.  Would you agree?

    There are some who seem so adept that sharing their faith that it is as natural as breathing.  Somehow, in most every conversation, they bring it around to spiritual things and are eventually speaking about Jesus…even to total strangers.  One of the first people I met like this was Glenn.  He was a natural-born, spiritually gifted evangelist.  I remember numerous occasions when he would speak of everyday situations that turned into opportunities to share his love for Jesus.  I struggled greatly with this because I was a pastor and it seemed I should be like this too.  I knew all the verses; I knew the plans (4 Spiritual Laws; Romans Road; etc.)  Still, I found it intimidating to share my faith with people outside the church.  The conversation didn’t seem to naturally turn there as quickly as it did for Glenn.

     I have come down a long path since then about my style of sharing my faith.  I have also learned that there are many Christ-followers who struggle as I did.  In the last couple of years, since I left my last full-time ministry, I have had the wonderful opportunity to become friends with a number of people who are not church-goers and don’t share my faith.  As I have grown closer to them, I have learned some important truths that I want to share with you about “evangelism.” 

     Can I start with something that I was challenged with years ago?  In the first church I served as a solo pastor, a woman regularly attended alone.  She asked us to pray for her husband because he was not a believer.  At one point, I suggested to her that I’d like to get together with him (maybe our families together) and get to know him.  Her response was that she only wanted to if I wanted to get to know him for more than just an evangelistic opportunity.  “If all you want to do is try to witness to him, I’d rather not.”  I was really taken back and wasn’t sure what to say.  The truth was, I honestly did only want to get to know him for the opportunity to eventually witness to him.  I didn’t know anything about him and didn’t even know if we had anything in common that would allow us to enjoy a friendship.  Was my desire wrong?  I don’t think so.  We should want to see others share our faith and love for Jesus.  But I have since recognized that this lady was expressing something that she had probably seen before.  Some Christians are only interested in being with people outside the church if they think they have a shot at getting that person “saved.”  They want a notch in the spine of their Bible, so to speak.  How would I have felt if that fellow had contacted me to ask to get to know me only to find out that he had something he wanted to sell me?  Don’t you think that many folks outside the church feel that way about those from the “inside?” 

Suggestion #1:

     Be interested in people because they are people and you genuinely care about them.  There will come a time to share your faith and to have conversations about things that are important to you (like your love for Jesus).  Don’t get all hung up on trying to constantly talk to people about Jesus or the Bible.  Don’t feel like you have to make every conversation into an opportunity to share your faith.  Not only is this incredibly difficult; it isn’t what relationships are made of.   If you don’t care anything about them beyond this, they will know it and will eventually avoid you.  In real relationships there is give and take.  You listen to what is important to someone and they listen to what is important to you.  You share what is going on in each others' lives.  You build a relationship on a mutually satisfying development of trust.  If you’re not in it for the relationship, you may be doing more harm than good.

     I hope that’s enough to whet your appetite.  I’m looking forward to posting more and hope you’ll join me in this important journey.