STEPS IN SHARING YOUR FAITH
Every believer must come to the realization that their ultimate purpose on this earth is to win as many people to Christ as possible. Although the great Commission (Matthew 18: 16-29) was the greatest challenge that Jesus gave his followers, many believers have a difficult time knowing how to present their faith to their family, friends & neighbours.
Spiritually, we find several tools that God gives us so that we are equipped and successful in this challenge.
Understand that God promised to empower you to accomplish this task.
Remember, you were never asked to do this by yourself. Jesus said in John 16:13 “But when he, the sprit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” In this verse we see that the Holy Spirit will not only empower you, but in fact he will direct you to do divinely ordained tasks to reach those around you who are lost.
Pray each day that you would be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wants to do through you.
Most Christians are unaware when the Holy Spirit is prompting them to be a witness to others. With life’s demands and busy schedules, we can easily miss out on the tasks that the Holy Spirit is trying to prompt us to do. There could be a person that God has placed in your pathway perhaps at work, at the store or even on the street corner that he wants you to show the love of Jesus to. They might be asking God to “show himself to them,” and just at that moment you were placed there to be the very hands and feet of Jesus himself.
Pray that you don’t miss these opportunities. They are there everyday.
Pray for wisdom in how to communicate with others
Each person that the Lord will lead you to is uniquely different and individually known by their creator. He knows their deepest hurts, pains, and struggles and therefore in sharing your faith, be sensitive to where their life is at.
Where one person may be completely ready for you to challenge them on the area of their spiritual condition at your very first conversation, in most cases trust and friendships will have to be made before they will begin to trust you sharing your faith.
Don’t be afraid of not knowing all the answers to their questions
In John 14:26 Jesus says; “but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all the things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
If you are willing to open your mouth and speak, God is willing to fill it with wisdom that is not from yourself. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t memorize important scriptures that are relevant in sharing ones faith, but if you are going to put off being a witness until, “you know the answers to deep theological questions.” chances are you will always put it off in fear that you might, “make mistakes.”
Be willing to share your testimony
There is nothing more powerful than one sharing their personal faith journey. Revelation 12:11 tells us that the saints “overcame the devil by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
The only real proof that the blood of Jesus can change a life is by someone sharing their story. Don’t be afraid to show to those around you just how far God has brought your life. They may try to argue theology with you, but one thing that no on can deny is a life that has been dramatically changed by God himself.
Avoid debates and arguments
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:23; “Don’t have anything to do with stupid and foolish arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.”
All of us need to pray for those who God places in our lives. Fact is no one has ever been won to Christ by losing an argument. It is only when the Holy Spirit draws them that they will finally surrender their loves to him. Therefore if a person becomes resistant, be sensitive to that by being respectful and not forcing your views on them. You might be one who is just planting a seed in which someone else will nurture and water it further at another opportunity. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
Don’t be discouraged when it doesn’t seem to “go well”
Never give up when you feel you may have blown a witnessing opportunity. f you either felt you said the wrong words or perhaps missed the opportunity all together, don’t beat yourself down. Learn what you need to learn from that experience, and move on from there for the next time. If you don't , you may find it more and more difficult to try again, fearing that the same results may happen. This is a tactic of the devil himself. Don’t listen to him for you are a messenger from the Lord, and with the power of the Holy Spirit within you, you will change lives for God’s kingdom.