Sharing Jesus
with friends who don't know Him... yet
"I believe in Jesus, but I don't know how to explain Him to other people."
As disciples of Jesus, we realize that we have an obligation to tell other people about Him. But many fears paralyze us from becoming witnesses for Him. We fear that we don't know what to say. We fear that people will view us as odd. We fear sticking our nose into other people's private matters. We fear offending people. But we also fear missing an opportunity that God gives to tell the Good News to people who don't yet know Jesus. I understand. I have often been in that position -- and I am still vulnerable to those fears. But there are a few things I have learned to do which help conquer my fears and create opportunities to share Jesus with others people.
(1) |
I have learned to relax and take time to build relationships of trust with my non-Christian acquaintances. They are more inclined to accept what I have to say if they know that I respect them and care about them. |
(2) |
I deliberately pray regularly for my unbelieving friend. The better I get to know them (step 1), the more I understand how I should pray for them and their needs. |
(3) |
I have learned a few simple outlines to describe (a) our need for forgiveness and (b) what Jesus has done to guarantee that forgiveness See "Bad News / Good News?" and "The Gospel by colors" |
(4) |
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(5) |
I try to spend time letting God speak to me through the Bible, letting His Word transform the way I think, feel, and act. |
(6) |
I invite people to tell me about themselves. They are often eager to spill it all, telling me their joys, their sorrows, their wisdom, and their foolishness. Somewhere in the mix there is usually something that connects directly to something in the Bible that I have learned for my own benefit (step 5). And very often God the Holy Spirit answers my prayer (step 4) so that in a natural friendly way, we find ourselves discussing the truths of Scripture. |