SHARE YOUR FAITH

 

Why Engage It?

Greetings! You are likely reading this Tool for Connecting because you want to tell others about the God who loves you and whom you love in return. Yet, in the back of your mind sits a nugget of reluctance or resistance. JOIN THE CLUB! You are not alone. Somehow during my lifetime, this western society has convinced individuals that the thing they care most deeply about should not be discussed with others. Instead, we reduce our level of meaningful personal interaction by merely talking about the weather or our favorite sport team.

What steps can a devoted follower of Jesus take to get out of this conundrum?

How to Practice It

1. Determine who you care about.

  • In the religious world there are literally hundreds of topics to discuss. So you need to choose your most important. I recommend you focus on God, the creator of the world and object of faith in both the Old and New Testaments.

2. Determine what you can share honestly.

  • We often sense we must be the master of all the topics of Theology before we can talk about one of them. This is not accurate. Instead, “theology” is any discussion about God. So, what do you know about God that you can share with someone else? 

  • Perhaps you have experienced a personal healing in your life or the life of a family member. Perhaps you have experienced an inexplainable provision at a time of tremendous need. Maybe you have simply been able to respond to this current crisis with an amazing sense of peace and calm. These are the topics where you have expert experience and people are waiting to hear from you.

3. Practice with others on the same journey

  • Many “churched” individuals never talk to other “churched” individuals about what God is doing in their lives. Like the unsaved world around us we rarely share anything apart from the weather or our favorite football team. Be a catalyst for change in the culture of your church community. Begin to address your friends and small group members with “Hey, let me tell you how I experienced the fill in the blank of God this week.” Then tell them about your sense of peace, your observation at God at work in the life of someone else, or an amazing encounter you had with God. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

  • After speaking to those who are “faith minded” you will become more comfortable sharing your faith. After only a short time of practicing you will run into a “non-church” friend and the words “Hey, let me tell you how I . . .” will spill forth from your mouth without you even thinking about it.

4. Reject the shrunken gospel.

  • Many traditions have used the phrase “share your faith” or “share the gospel” to mean nothing more than explaining to someone their need for conversion. Since behavior is “caught” more than “taught,” a similar thought often sits just below the surface of our conscience. 

  • Instead, proclaim the same things that Jesus speaks about. He discusses the way God desires us to live, the provision of God, and the character of God far more often than he asks them to pray the “sinner’s prayer.” As followers of Jesus who live fully in the Kingdom of God, we need to follow his example more, and the teaching of others less.

5. Initiate conversation with a question.

  • Especially in the “churched” community there can be a hesitancy to talk about our own personal spiritual growth. We can also be reluctant to dive too deeply into someone else’s faith journey. The key to both of these issues is to identify a common question for use in your community that encourages these conversations. I suggest the  following:

“How have you seen God at work in yourself/others during this past week?”

  • The key to sharing your faith comfortably is to talk about what you observe God doing. Yet in order to do so, one must first become aware of what God is doing. Encourage your community of faith to participate in such blessed conversation by simply asking this question of others. Be prepared to respond when you get asked!

 
Capacity Ministries