As a little boy, I was a quiet kid that stayed to himself and observed situations from a distance. I’d often have much to say, but lacked the desire to speak up. Looking back, I see that this was a defense mechanism I put in place when met with unfamiliar social encounters, or group settings. I felt staying silent was more favorable than someone passing judgment over me. Frankly, this was a “fear of man” issue, which in essence is an issue of pride. I cared too much about what people’s perception of me was.
Today, the “fear of man” remains a struggle that I actively have to work through if I am not careful. Over the last 5 years since giving my life to Christ, I have experienced tremendous growth in relationship building, and having intentional conversation with the lost. This began with me sharing the Gospel with close friends, to now public witnessing in the city. Here are my learnings that have given me courage, confidence, and peace when evangelizing to others, pulling from my experience evangelizing in Washington D.C. with the young adult group.
The first is knowing your preferred method of sharing the Gospel. You can initiate conversation stating your intention to share your faith (direct approach), or you can strike up natural conversation that eventually leads to sharing your faith (indirect approach). Direct approaches allow for quicker interactions, but result in more rejections. This is no surprise, as these encounters may feel more solicitor-like. Indirect approaches take more time and tact, but softens the listener to have more thoughtful conversation. Direct approaches require that you have a well crafted “pitch,” while indirect approaches require that you have a well crafted transition in the conversation. In either case, the goal is the same – share the Gospel message effectively. “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (1 Cor. 1:17 NIV).” You don’t need to be a great speaker with a large vocabulary to share the gospel effectively. Paul stressed the importance of his message, not his style. The story, not the storyteller, has the persuasive power. “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Cor. 2:4-5 NIV).” The best thing we can do when evangelizing is letting the power of the Gospel make an impact.
The second best thing we have is our testimony – how God has transformed our life. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life (1 Tim. 15-16 NIV).” Your personal testimony is anecdotal evidence of God and his power. It is a powerful opportunity for people to resonate with your past and let them know that they are not beyond God’s saving grace. Use your testimony as a way to regain confidence in the conversation. After all, who knows your story better than yourself? “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’ (John 4:39 NIV).” This verse informs us how impactful a personal testimony can be in drawing people to place their faith in Christ.
Lastly, find peace in the fact that the saving power is in the Lord, not us. “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow (1 Cor. 3:5-7 NIV).” Our role is to spread the message of the gospel, which is us planting seeds. God, however, is who will make the seed grow. We are relieved of that responsibility. So when we are rejected in our witnessing, they are rejecting God, not us. We don’t save people, God does.
Today, the “fear of man” remains a struggle that I actively have to work through if I am not careful. Over the last 5 years since giving my life to Christ, I have experienced tremendous growth in relationship building, and having intentional conversation with the lost. This began with me sharing the Gospel with close friends, to now public witnessing in the city. Here are my learnings that have given me courage, confidence, and peace when evangelizing to others, pulling from my experience evangelizing in Washington D.C. with the young adult group.
The first is knowing your preferred method of sharing the Gospel. You can initiate conversation stating your intention to share your faith (direct approach), or you can strike up natural conversation that eventually leads to sharing your faith (indirect approach). Direct approaches allow for quicker interactions, but result in more rejections. This is no surprise, as these encounters may feel more solicitor-like. Indirect approaches take more time and tact, but softens the listener to have more thoughtful conversation. Direct approaches require that you have a well crafted “pitch,” while indirect approaches require that you have a well crafted transition in the conversation. In either case, the goal is the same – share the Gospel message effectively. “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (1 Cor. 1:17 NIV).” You don’t need to be a great speaker with a large vocabulary to share the gospel effectively. Paul stressed the importance of his message, not his style. The story, not the storyteller, has the persuasive power. “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Cor. 2:4-5 NIV).” The best thing we can do when evangelizing is letting the power of the Gospel make an impact.
The second best thing we have is our testimony – how God has transformed our life. “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life (1 Tim. 15-16 NIV).” Your personal testimony is anecdotal evidence of God and his power. It is a powerful opportunity for people to resonate with your past and let them know that they are not beyond God’s saving grace. Use your testimony as a way to regain confidence in the conversation. After all, who knows your story better than yourself? “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’ (John 4:39 NIV).” This verse informs us how impactful a personal testimony can be in drawing people to place their faith in Christ.
Lastly, find peace in the fact that the saving power is in the Lord, not us. “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow (1 Cor. 3:5-7 NIV).” Our role is to spread the message of the gospel, which is us planting seeds. God, however, is who will make the seed grow. We are relieved of that responsibility. So when we are rejected in our witnessing, they are rejecting God, not us. We don’t save people, God does.
Nathaniel Gonzalez
