Flexing the Evangelism Muscle
Recently, we as ministerial staff all went to The Urban Forest in Huntington Beach to do a devotional and spend some time alone with the Lord. As I was walking through the beautiful scenery (if you have not gone there, I highly recommend you take an hour or two to go there with your families), I saw a man tending to the gardens there. Despite being an extrovert, I was enjoying my time of silence. So, I decided to walk by him. I had no intention of speaking with him, but the Lord had other plans. I heard the man’s voice, “Good morning!” I winced inwardly before turning around to respond. We had an extremely pleasant conversation. I learned some things about the garden, I learned his name, and it was very evident to me that he was a kind and caring person. And that was it. The conversation went by and we went our separate ways. As I was walking away, I realized something. I didn’t tell him much about me. Even more importantly, I didn’t share with him the best news I could give him: that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross, and that he rose back to life three days later, conquering sin and death. I did not think to share Jesus with him. Have you ever had a moment like that in your Christian walk? Where you could have shared a little bit about your faith and talked about Jesus? Well, you are not alone. For the rest of this blog, I want to encourage you to flex that evangelism (sharing the gospel with non-believers) muscle a little bit!
Flex the Evangelism Muscle
Have you ever heard the saying, “practice makes perfect”? Well, there is some truth there. The more you do something, the better you get at it. The more you work a muscle, the stronger it will get. Remember when you were learning to walk? Probably not, but it was difficult! You probably weren’t very good at it at first, but now look at you! You walk every day! It’s like second nature to you. My desire is for all of us to treat evangelism that way too. It can be challenging and scary at first, but the more we do it, the better we get at it. I know for me, I look at people who are very gifted when it comes to this area, and I get extremely discouraged. “It doesn’t come that natural to me and I’ll never be like them.” Do you ever feel that way about evangelism? Well, I have some good news for you, my friends: we don’t all have to be like that friend you’re thinking of. God uses us all in different ways. God gives us all different gifts, but we are all commanded to share the good news of Jesus with others. That friend that is good at sharing their faith with others might be able to lift 500 pounds when it comes to evangelism. However, you don’t have to do the same thing. Start with something lighter, like five pounds. Is it much less weight? Yes, but it’s a start. And five can turn into ten, and ten into twenty. You get the picture. We just need to start practicing, or flexing that muscle.
Somewhere to Start
You do not have to start by walking up to someone you don’t know and ask them, “what do you think of spiritual things?” That still freaks me out a little bit if I am honest. Start somewhere small, like asking a friend to practice with you. Have a conversation with them and recount the gospel as best as you can. I think that’s a great place to start. One thing I have done to help me in the past is finding a way to bring up what I do on Sundays. “Every Sunday I go to church, and I cannot imagine my week without it.” You’d be surprised at the responses I get when I say that. It starts with the small things that will lead to “bigger” things. However, there is one thing I recommend we all do before trying to be better at evangelizing: pray. We can start by asking the Lord to grow us in sharing our faith. We can ask Him to give us His heart for the lost and ask for opportunities to practice. If we genuinely pray for these things, the Lord will absolutely give us the opportunities to share and to grow.
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
There is one promise that Jesus gave us that I always turn back to. After giving the command to make disciples, Jesus ends the great commission with this promise: And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). When we are tired and don’t have the strength, Jesus is there. When we are lonely and isolated, Jesus is there. When we are paralyzed with fear, Jesus is there. Jesus is always there. This is something I constantly need to tell myself when attempting to evangelize. Trust that Jesus is true to his promise, and he will give you all that you need.
Don’t Wait
Here is my final encouragement: just go for it. Do not wait. There is no perfect time to evangelize or to start getting better at it. The time is right now! Even if you feel like the opportunity has passed you by, try to find another one. In the story I told you earlier, I felt such conviction as I was walking away that I should go back, and by God’s grace I did. It wasn’t my flesh, because I would have kept walking. The Lord put it in me to share the gospel with that man, so the Lord turned me around. Brothers, sisters, and friends do not wait. You can do this. Start small. Start with prayer. And remember: Jesus is with you ALWAYS!
In Him,
Jeremy Provenghi
