I will be honest, for some reason sharing your faith can be one of the scariest and most intimidating things a Christian is supposed to do. A recent study by the Barna Group revealed that only approximately 1% of the Christian population claims to have the Spiritual Gift of Evangelism. This is not good news knowing that Scripture teaches that everyone is to “do the work of an evangelist” (II Timothy 4:5).
What I have learned after being in church leadership for over 15 years is this … oftentimes we just make excuses for not sharing our faith. Below are some of the most common excuses that I have heard.
- I’m scared. I get that. I get scared too sometimes. Then I ask myself, “What am I really scared of? Are they going to like punch me or something?” What I do often is pray and ask God for boldness. Paul even asked for boldness in Ephesians 6:18-20.
- They may ask a question I can’t answer. Great news … you don’t have to know all the answers. You just have to point them to the person who does. I often say when talking to others, “You may not know all the answers, you may not even know all the questions, but I can introduce you to the person that does.” What you can and should do if they ask you a question you don’t know how to answer is let them know you will find the answer a.s.a.p. Then go ask someone else or look it up yourself.
- It’s not my responsibility. That’s the pastor’s job. When I hear people say this I almost get upset. The Great Commission doesn’t say, “some of you go into the world and preach the Gospel.” This is a mandate for all of us.
- I don’t know how to share my faith. This could be a valid excuse. In many churches we have made it much more complicated than it really should be. Having to memorize the Roman’s Road or the Four Spiritual Laws can be tough (although I do highly recommend memorizing as much Scripture as possible). It makes it even more difficult when we start sharing our faith and things don’t go according to the “script.” The best thing to do is to simply share your story. Share how you came to know Christ. If you know how to accept Him as your Savior then you know how to introduce someone else to Him as well.
- I don’t know how to start a conversation about the Lord. This is all about timing. This is where you need to listen to the Spirit’s promptings. Most of the people that you will have an opportunity to share your faith with are people you have been building a relationship with already. It is easy to tell them about an experience at church or about something you were recently reading in your Bible.
- I’m afraid my friends will remember the bad things I have done. This can actually be used for a positive. You could have an amazing opportunity to share how God has changed your life and how your life is so much better now that Jesus is your priority.
- I don’t speak well. Moses used that excuse too in Exodus 4:10. God’s reply was that He (God) made Moses exactly like he was. It becomes a lot easier when you are simply talking to someone rather than giving them a sales pitch.
- I don’t have time. Ok, this one does make me upset. This is probably the worst excuse of them all. We all have time for what we make time for. No one’s life is so busy they don’t have time to share their faith. If it is even close to being that busy then you need to create a good bit of margin in your life. I don’t think God would quite understand that excuse when you meet Him face to face.
- I might lose my friends over it. If they are truly your friends then nothing else in the world should be as important. How do you think your friend would feel at the Judgment Seat of Christ hearing of their eternal destination knowing they had a friend that could have shared with them the hope found in Jesus Christ?
- I just try to live the gospel with my life. Great! Scripture teaches us to be “salt and light.” Now open your mouth and declare the good news. Remember, faith comes by hearing! (Romans 10:17)
What are some other excuses you have heard or maybe even used? Feel free to share.
Let’s make a commitment together to not use these excuses. Let’s ask God every morning for opportunities to share our faith and let’s pray for boldness. I can promise you this, there is no greater joy then being able to introduce someone else to the Savior of the World.
Randy Harp 