“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18
I had known my friend for about seven years before I finally decided to share the gospel with her. I felt compelled to one day, as I realized I had never shared Jesus with her in the entire time I’d known her.
There had been plenty of time, just not the right time; at least that’s what I had been telling myself for seven years. But the reality was, I was scared. And I had allowed my fear to become more important than her soul. She was elderly; she could have died before I had the chance to witness.
Sometimes there isn’t a way to tie in the gospel to a previous conversation without it sounding awkward or forced. But that doesn’t mean we should delay sharing Christ until there is such an opportunity.
Here’s how I finally shared Jesus with my elderly friend. I said, “I believe in a heaven and in a hell. It’s so important that I tell others about the way to heaven — it’s news that I can’t hold back, because it’s good news.”
When phrased this way, people are more likely to realize that our urgency to share with them is due to our sincere belief in God and compassion for them. When we witness, we need to be able to show others our love for God flowing through us to them. When we are able to show this type of compassion, we don’t have to fear the other person’s reaction — regardless of how they respond, they will know your shared out of love. We can’t let fear hinder us from witnessing to those around us.
Dear Lord, please give us the strength to overcome our fears in witnessing. Please give us Your love and power to enable us to walk in boldness as we proclaim the gospel. Amen.
Take Action
Who is one person you can share Christ with this month? Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you in your conversations with this person, and ask Him to give you courage as you share the good news.