Jesus instructs all of us to share our faith. That doesn’t make it easier or less scary though. Sharing the good news of Christ can be challenging. It requires practice and patience. Are you comfortable with sharing your faith?
This is discipline not reserved for super Christians or evangelists.
Since most of us are out of practice our encounters can be awkward. We can come across as belligerent, unkind, and mean-spirited or aloof.
I have a modest goal with this article: I want the reader to be encouraged to share their faith without being a turd.
What Does It Mean To Share Your Faith
Over the years many euphemisms have popped up pertaining to preaching the gospel. The term “evangelizing” seems to have fallen out of favor. We live in Orwellian times and words have hyper significance.
Jesus told His disciples to teach all ethnic groups and to be His witness (Matthew 28:18:20, Acts 1:8).
Peter said that we should always be ready to provide a defense for our hope (I Peter 3:15).
Paul said that we were ambassadors (II Corinthians 5:20).
Call it what you want — just do it.
Sharing Your Faith — How Not To Do It
When I was a baby believer I would hang outside bars and share the gospel with anyone and everyone. Rudeness was my calling card.
I was possessed with zeal but had minimal knowledge. Jesus, Peter, and Paul taught very specifically about sharing the gospel and I ignored them all.
One key faith-sharing concept is “Don’t be a turd!”
Sharing Your Faith Biblically — Paul
The Apostle Paul shared his faith everywhere and all of the time. The prison was his mission field!
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul gave some excellent advice for sharing the gospel.
Colossians 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Paul provided some key ideas for us:
- Be Wise
- Be Opportunistic
- Don’t Be A Turd
- Be Salty
- Be Knowledgeable
Sharing Your Faith — Be Wise
What does it mean to walk in wisdom toward outsiders? Who are the outsiders?
Outsiders, in this context, are people outside of the Kingdom. Some call them non-Christians. Outsiders are anyone who has not put their faith in the completed work of Christ.
We must be wise when speaking to outsiders about Christ. Eternity is on the line and it’s vital that we bring our “A” game into every conversation.
Atheism is growing in the United States. Sadly, many Christians do not know how to address even the most basic atheistic arguments.
Apatheism is becoming more and more prevalent as well.
The college professor superciliously asks, “Why would you believe in God?” and the student wets their pants without attempting to address the question.
Pastors must spend time teaching apologetics.
Believers need not wait for a Sunday sermon, though.
Here are some great books to teach you how to share your faith:
| Book Title | Author |
| Tactics: A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions | Gregory Koukl |
| Another Gospel? | Alisa Childers |
| The Case For Christ | Lee Strobel |
| Cold-Case Christianity | J. Warner Wallace |
| Expositional Apologetics | Voddie Baucham Jr. |
| Hells Best Kept Secret | Ray Comfort |
Sharing Your Faith — Be Opportunistic
Some will have more opportunities than others but we all have opportunities. Wisdom comes first, though. If you’ve put your faith in Christ and committed your life to Him you have some wisdom. Growing in wisdom happens incrementally.
You will never have all of the answers so you might as well get started right where you are.
Take opportunities when they are presented. Sure, there will be times when you will crash and burn. Your ego will take a few punches to the chin too.
So?
You can read every book printed on how to run a marathon but if you don’t start running the reading is just a waste of time.
Keep a “sharing your faith” journal so you can learn from your mistakes. When you don’t have a good answer or get stumped learn what went wrong and be prepared for it the next time.
Don’t Be A Turd
Rudeness, unkindness, sarcasm, condescension, and snark should not be employed when you’re sharing your faith. Grace, kindness, gentleness, reason, and logic are needed in every situation.
Being a turd is never a good idea. It’s unhelpful and makes Christians appear heartless. Turd-like behavior can turn a person away from Jesus.
Don’t be a turd.
There will be times when you will be treated poorly when sharing your faith. You will be called bad names, rejected, and your intelligence will be challenged. Don’t take the trap.
Kindness and gentleness are superior to turd-like behavior.
Sharing Your Faith — Be Salty
Salt has some unique qualities. One quality is that it does not change. The message of the Cross of Christ remains unchanged. The gospel is simple. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s expectations. We’re all in need of a savior and Jesus is our justifier (article on justification).
Salt also preserves. Our gospel conversation should preserve and not produce rot.
It also has healing properties. Are your words promoting healing?
You can’t lead a horse to water but you can put salt in its oats to make it thirsty.
Salt should generate thirst. Our listeners should be thirsty for more conversation instead of begging us to stop talking.
Sharing Your Faith — Be Knowledgeable
…so that you may know how you ought to answer each person…
Most faith-sharing encounters will be different and yet quite similar. The gospel, as previously mentioned, does not change. Each person hearing the gospel, however, is different, which changes everything.
Treat each person as an individual.
Abraham Maslow once said, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to treat everything as if it were a nail.”
It’s vital that we continue to add tools to our faith-sharing toolkit. A butter knife can be used as a screwdriver but is not ideal.
Reaching a Millennial is different than reaching a Boomer. Sharing the Gospel with a Hindu is different than with a Jehovah’s Witness. Talking to a Ph.D. in physics requires a specific skill set. I could go on and on and on with other similar examples.
Take the time to think through different potential scenarios. How should each be approached? What are the key arguments for these situations? Track these in your handy-dandy notebook and prepare and prepare some more.
Share your faith at every opportunity.
Just don’t be a turd.