31 Days of Good News - Reasons for not sharing

Why don't we share our faith? The day that the Lord called us to Himself and we surrendered all was the best day of our lives, right? So why are we keeping that a secret?

Life just does not make sense until we are reconciled to God. We are surrounded by people who are struggling with this very issue. So why don't we tell them about Jesus?

According to the book Share Jesus Without Fear, the main reasons for not sharing our faith are:

1. I'm afraid of being rejected. With this, we need to remember that the work is all done by the Holy Spirit. We cannot convert anyone - that is God's job. We just need to be faithful and obey His command to share the good news. The only thing God cannot use is our silence.

2. I'm afraid of what my friends will think. The key to remember with this one is, "Either you can share your faith, or you can say nothing and in your silence love your friends into hell." The Bible tells us that we will be persecuted for our faith. It warns us that the gospel can divide families and friends. We need to risk persecution in order to share the gospel with our friends and family. "How many of your friends know you are a Christian but don't understand the gospel? The reason many of your friends have not received the gospel is because they are waiting for you to explain it to them."

3. I don't think I can share with my coworkers. The book reminds us that God puts all people in our paths for a reason. We need to share our faith with all who we come into contact with. The advice is given to not take time away at work to share the gospel. It might be better to invite the person to lunch in order to walk through the Bible verses (which I will post later this week).

4. I don't know enough. This usually comes from people who have been a Christian for ten years or more. The book says the problem is that they have been sitting around accumulating information for so long that they are spiritually constipated. You need to get rid of some of this information!

5. I'm afraid of losing my friends and relatives. Jesus said, "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." (Luke 12:51-53). When you surrender your life to Christ, it may cost you every relationship you have. You truly have to die to yourself, follow Christ, and leave your loved ones behind. One man said, "I can either stay in the sin of silence and say nothing, watching my parents stay condemned because they never heard the gospel, or I can choose to risk being permanently rejected by them forever."

6. I don't know how....we will get to that tomorrow. Please come back to find out how easy it is to share your faith and lead someone to the Lord for salvation.

The end of this chapter has an excellent paragraph that I'd like to share:

"Drop Those Excuses

If you wish to experience the level of joy so many others have found, you will have to drop those excuses for not sharing your faith. You will have to practice obedience to the Great Commission. Not only will this impact the lives of your loved ones, giving the Holy Spirit the opportunity to draw them to Christ, but you will also experience a new depth in your relationship with God that you never experienced before. After all, God promised, "I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12).

Wait until you see what God will do with an ordinary person, like you, who is obedient in sharing her faith."



Share Jesus Without Fear is an excellent resource for learning practical ways to share your Jesus with everyone you meet. I highly recommend it!