Sharing Jesus?

 

Many Christians struggle with sharing their faith with those who do not yet believe in Jesus. When I was teaching Bible classes, getting them to share what they believed with other Christians was also a challenge. However, doing this paves the way for being more confident to share with those outside the church.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)

God reminded me of this last night. Our complex has a dinner once a month for bungalow owners. We sat at a table with people we had not yet met and the conversation quickly turned to  a pending decision to add more living spaces to our complex. Some at our table were very concerned that this would not happen because of various problems it might cause. I turned to the chatty lady beside me and said, “I am a Christian and am not worried about this and trust God to take care of me no matter what might happen. I’m not concerned because worry means I’m not trusting Him.” She lit up and told me she believed that also. Our conversation became mutually edifying.

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. (Psalm 63:3)

This morning Piper says to “speak to people of God’s supreme worth in creative and persuasive ways” referring to those not yet in a relationship with Him. My long practice of telling Christians to practice with one another, not as a rehearsal or role-play, but during normal conversation, is so helpful. If I have devotions that touch my heart, share them. If God uses a verse to speak to a current need, share that. If He answers even a small prayer, tell another believer. Make it a normal part of conversations with like-minded souls and no surprise — it becomes easier to share with others, even those I don’t have any idea of their beliefs, like the lady at dinner.

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)

Right now, we have this freedom. In some places in this world, Christians dare not share, even at times with other Christians. There are countries where people infiltrate groups of believers only to betray them to oppressive authorities. This can lead to imprisonment or even death. We are blessed here that we can talk about our faith because of tolerance and even laws that protect us from violence. Jesus is a God-given gift that should be not be hoarded but unwrapped and used to bless others.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. (Psalm 40:3)

PRAY: Jesus, there are times when I am silent. One of them is when others are obviously set to curse You and You put the thought of “not casting my pearls before swine” into my head. That does not happen very often. Usually my mind is blank because the Spirit puts in nothing to say. I may not know the reason (bad timing?) but obedience is important. I cannot be pushy because You listened to what God wanted said and are teaching me to do the same. Yet being silent out of fear or self-centered reasons is not how You want me to think. Instead, my attitude needs to be, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8) Thank You for this confidence in You.