Don’t Have Enough Time?
Where does sharing the truth of Jesus fit within your life?
WHAT IF I FEEL TOO BUSY TO WITNESS TO OTHERS?
We live in a very highly pressurised society, particularly during our working lives. Many of us are so busy with work that we come home with scarcely enough energy to help at home, let alone to get involved in reaching out to our neighbors. What makes these competing pressures worse is when we are challenged to witness in a manner that follows success stories that we have heard from others or seen in person that we perceive are beyond our ability. We conclude that we simply don't have the time or ability to share God’s word in a deep and meaningful way and to further that difficulty, we don't tend to meet people that are easy to talk to.
The scenario just referenced may well be true for you, and it would not be truthful to deny its difficulties. However, there is a world of difference between doing nothing and doing something.
How can we overcome a 'natural' lethargy and get involved in evangelism? Well, to begin with, lets assume that as a person reading this, that you are a Christian believer and follower of Jesus based on the salvation and hope offered uniquely by His work on the cross for the forgiveness of sin.
So perhaps the first question we need to ask ourselves is: how did I become a believer in Christ?
For most people the answer is well known - through the witness of friends. In other words, someone had bothered. They took time to share the gospel message with you and the result was you received new spiritual life.
Not only that, but that person told you that Jesus the Lord had bothered. He had bothered to come to earth in human form and, above all, had bothered to die on the cross for your sins, because he loved you. So you are eternally indebted to people that bothered.
Given this, it would now sound rather strange for you to turn round and say, 'I can't really be bothered to witness about Jesus.'
In fact, to be blunt, it raises a very serious question: what do you really think being a Christian is?
It means being a follower of Jesus as Lord, and that means being prepared to do as he says. One of those things is to go into all the world to share the message that has been shared with you.
The vital thing is to get involved. Start small and watch how the Lord begins to enrich your life. Then, instead of feeling like not bothering about evangelism, you will look out for every opportunity to see Jesus work in your life.
ENCOURAGING SOMEONE TO GROW AS A CHRISTIAN
To those who have trusted Christ through our witness, we can rejoice with them that they have received eternal life (John 3:16). They have been born into God's family (John 1:12-13). Like all newborn babies, though, they need to feed in order to grow.
That means that they need to start (if they have not already done so) reading the Bible for themselves as a daily priority.
Since you have been witnessing to them, it is highly appropriate - and you will find it very rewarding - to make time to meet with them and read the Bible together. This will give you the opportunity to introduce them to many of the good Bible reading aids that are available.
It is important, however, since they are now part of God's family, that they should meet with other Christians to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25). Therefore help them find a welcoming church and encourage them to come to your church that is committed to the teaching of Scripture.
It is also helpful to encourage them to become involved in a Bible study group. Here they will find a smaller network of caring friends with whom it is easier to relate to, discuss the Bible and pray with.
It might be that they are married to a fellow believer. If so, it is important that their faith becomes central to their marriage, including by reading the Bible and praying with their spouses.
It is important to prepare new Christians for the fact that, despite their commitment to pleasing God, they will inevitably sin. No one of us is perfect this side of heaven. We are a work in progress. Facing that ongoing process of transformation can be uncomfortable at times.
Assure them that once we have received eternal life, we will never come into penal judgement (John 5:24). When we subsequently sin, it does not mean that we may lose our salvation and be cast out of God's family. God's promise is that we will be forgiven because of what Christ has already done for us (1 John 1:5-10). However, we need to be honest before God, confessing our sin to him (1 John 1:9). Scripture gives many examples of this. See, for instance, Psalm 51, which is one of King David's prayers of confession.
Another important aspect to highlight for new believers is that they will need to develop their Christian character. God supplies his children with all the resources needed to do that but it will not happen automatically without our cooperation (2 Peter 1:3-15).
Furthermore, if we do not cooperate with the Lord in this process, precisely because he loves us, he will discipline us for the sake of our character development (Hebrews 12:6-11).
We need also to encourage people who have just become Christians to begin to explore the potential of the life they have received as a gift from God and to set themselves to work for him. This is not to gain acceptance with him but because God has accepted them and has 'created' them 'for good works' (Ephesians 2:10).
All sorts of new possibilities open up - learning to be stewards of their time, their money and their varied gifts. By being involved in a church, this will allow others to help them discover what opportunities they have in now working for Christ's kingdom.
There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing God working in the lives of those people to whom we are witnessing. Seeing them cross the line from darkness into light, from death to life, and subsequently demonstrating the reality of their conversion in their lives, is one of life's richest experiences for a Christian.
My prayer, is that it may be your experience too.
Be blessed in Christ this day.
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Thank you for reading!