When Jesus met the woman at the well in John 4, He simply talked with her in a conversational manner. When she realized who Jesus was, she immediately left her water jar at the well and ran into town telling everyone she met, “Come, meet a man who told me everything I ever did.”
The implication behind that invitation was, “Jesus knows everything I ever did and yet He still loves me!” And many in the village believed in Jesus because of her testimony.
Let that sink in. Here was a woman who had had five husbands and was now living with yet another man. She was a social outcast and morally bankrupt. Yet, through Jesus’ tender compassion for her, she came to faith in Him. Then, immediately, without any training or program, she had to tell others the good news, “Come, meet a man….”
If she could share her faith so freely, immediately and excitedly, then so can we!
When you share your faith with others, you’re making disciples. A simple definition of disciple-making is representing Christ to others through our life and words.
Why Do We Share Our Faith with Others?
- Because our Lord asks us to. (Matthew 28:18-20)
- Because our love for Christ, His love for others, and our love for others compels us. (2 Corinthians 5:14)
- Because God doesn’t want people to perish but to repent and come to know Him. (2 Peter 3:9)
- Because He has commissioned us as His ambassadors, His representatives. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
- Because we are morally bound to warn others of the judgment to come so they too can be saved. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
7 Simple Tips for Sharing Your Faith
With that introduction, here are the 7 simple tips for sharing your faith in Christ with others.
- Pray each day for opportunities. This
little prayer can change your life and impact others too! Simply ask God to put
opportunities in your path during the day to share about Christ with others
through your life and words. Ask Him to give you eyes and ears to recognize
those situations and respond to them. I’ve been doing this and am amazed at
what God is doing!
- Rely on the Holy Spirit. As you pray
the above prayer each day, prepare your heart and mind to listen to the
promptings of the Holy Spirit. Also, Jesus tells us not to worry about what we
should say. Listen to the Holy Spirit and respond to each individual in a
personal, Spirit-led way.
- Tell your story. Even with all of the
Apostle Paul’s theological training, more often than not, he simply told others
his story of how he came to Christ. Last week, my sister-in-law was at the hairdresser
and picked up on a comment she made. So, my sister-in-law asked permission to
share her story with her and did.
- Be humble and transparent. People have
their radar up for hypocrites and religious nuts. Be real with people, knowing
that you too are a sinner saved by grace. It’s not your job to judge anyone,
but to tell them how they can find forgiveness and joy in Christ. “We are
simply like beggars telling another beggar where to find bread.”
- Your job is to share, not convert.
Conviction leading to repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do
that. As Paul explained, you may be “planting or watering” but it’s God who
makes the seed of the Gospel grow in a person’s heart.
- Ensure your life and actions back up your
words. Last weekend, a woman watched the interaction between my son, his
two sons, and me over the space of a few hours. She recognized the love of
Christ in us. So, when it was time to leave, I told her, “We are followers of
Jesus. Is there anything we could pray for you about?” Tears welled up in her
eyes as she shared some of her struggles with us and then we prayed for her. It
is such a privilege to represent Christ before others in this way!
- Always share with gentleness and respect. Peter exhorts us to always be ready to give an account of the hope we have in Christ. But he also reminds us to always do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). If someone responds to you maliciously or angrily, show them Christ’s love in return.
Often, followers of Christ don’t know how to initiate a conversation with someone about the Lord. Be yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what works best for you.
If the situation warrants, consider starting the conversation with the phrase, “I am a follower of Jesus….” Then, you could add any number of things:
- “I am a follower of Jesus. May I pray with you?”
- “I am a follower of Jesus. Could I share with you how He changed my life?”
- “I am a follower of Jesus and I’ve experienced challenges similar to what you’re going through right now. May I tell you how Jesus helped me through those hard times?”
Above all, let the love of Christ consume you and exude through you for others as you share with them.
©2019 Rob Fischer