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PROGRAM D-8368
I am not ashamed of the gospel—that’s my topic about which I’m sharing. Unfortunately, I’m afraid there are far too many Christians who are ashamed or afraid to tell people about their faith in Jesus Christ.
What about you? What is your greatest hindrance in witnessing? This is a question put to Christians in a recent survey, and the most common response was “fear of how the other person would react.”
Let’s examine this. If you have an opening to share a brief witness to your faith, what could possibly happen to you? Here are some potential results.
- The sky could fall in.
- Your heart might stop beating.
- You might embarrass yourself.
- The other person might punch you out.
- The other person might put you down or ridicule you.
- You could lose your job.
- You could lose all your money.
- The other person might never speak to you again.
- The other person might become uncomfortable.
- The other person may listen and want to know more.
- The other person may accept Jesus.
Now, which one of these has happened to you when you shared your faith? The sky didn’t fall in? Your heart kept right on beating? The other person didn’t punch you out? Good! It may be true that the other person seemed uncomfortable, but it could also be true that the person listened and wanted to know more, or even accepted Jesus.
If you are able to plant a seed that either then or later grows into new life in Christ, is it worth it to run all the other risks?
Twenty-five percent of those surveyed felt they “did not know enough to share the gospel adequately.” Remember the Samaritan woman at the well. After she met Jesus, she ran back to people in her town and said, “Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did.” She became an instant witness. Did she know the right words to say? No, all she knew was that this man had changed her life, and she said, “Come and meet him.”
It is good for us to be knowledgeable about the gospel and scripture. We need to be prepared to answer questions and handle objections. But all of us can tell what Jesus has done in our lives.
Are you ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Examine yourself carefully and realize it is often the enemy’s tool to keep us from sharing the good news that we know.