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Fear of Evangelism

I shared the Gospel with a classmate last week.

She had been having some health issues and I felt to ask her If I could pray for healing. After some questioning and uncertainty, she agreed. (And to answer your immediate question her health issue was not one where it was obvious if she was healed or not – so no, I don’t know if God performed a miracle).

Anyway, afterward, she was intrigued, and we got into a classic discussion about what I believe vs what she believes and how I could possibly justify evil or suffering and so forth.

We talked for 30-45 minutes, said goodbye, and went on our way.

But boy did it exhaust me.

I came home and was just emotionally drained. 

Why is sharing our beliefs so difficult?

I don’t think I am alone in the struggle with evangelism. 

Many of us struggle with this. Most of us ignore it or pretend that it is not “our calling.”

It's not easy.

And the main reason why it's so difficult and exhausting can be summed up in one word.

Fear.

Fear in all its forms:

• Am I going to ruin the relationship? 

• Am I going to be judged? 

• Am I going to misrepresent God and turn them off from Christianity forever? 

• Am I going to be laughed at, ridiculed or persecuted? 

• Will I be able to answer their questions, or will I look like a fool? 

• Is it just going to be super awkward? 

• Is it the right timing? 

On and on and on.

But here is a fun trivia quiz for you. What do you think the most repeated command in the Bible is?

The answer: Do not be afraid.

God does not leave us alone

God knows a thing or two about humans. He knows we are so easily filled with fear. And yet, God calls us to not be afraid, to trust Him. He repeats it over and over and over.

I get it. Someone telling you to “not be afraid” is as helpful as someone telling you “not to worry”

In essence – not much.

But God does not simply tell us not to fear – he gives us the Holy Spirit to overcome this fear.

He does not leave us alone.

Next week we will be diving into the wonderful topic of prayer – praying in your everyday life. I truly believe that being connected to God throughout your day is one of the best ways to overcome fear.

So I would encourage you to read Jon’s posts next week – and to start a journey with me towards a life not without fear –  but a life where you can conquer fear through Him.

To end with a classic Bible verse:

Be Blessed,

Aaron

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