3 Reasons Why You Need To Share Your Faith

On a scale of 1-10, how good do you feel you are at sharing your faith with others?

If I am honest, I feel like I fail at this more times than I win. As much as I want my faith to matter, I always feel like I am missing the mark.

I should have said this, I should have done this…, Is what I shared truth? What if they see my sin and are turned away?

Always Be Ready To Share Your Faith…

But then there are also times when we really just mess it up. That happened to me the first time someone asked me to share my faith with them. It was probably 11 or 12 years ago at this point. We were in my old apartment, and she knew I had been going back to church. She asked me a question and I had a really hard time answering it.

Why do you believe what you believe?

I literally couldn’t answer it.

I tried to come up with the right biblical answer, and she seemed to be more confused. In her defense me flubbering through the whole “well God made the heavens and earth…” wasn’t going to cut it here.

I felt so guilty after my time with her as the verse  (1 Peter 3:15) “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” rang through my mind.

(This question can be stated in a lot of different ways. How are you so strong while you are going through this difficult time? How can you keep going when everything is so hard? Why don’t you just walk away if it’s not easy? These are all open doors to share your faith.)

Why do you believe what you believe? Jessica couldn't answer that question… can you? Click To Tweet

As I reflect on that verse, I am not surprised that it begins with “revere Christ as Lord.” Because that is really where we need to begin, and I wasn’t. I was too concerned with me and I wasn’t revering Christ. I was afraid I was going to mess this up. In short, I wasn’t prepared. And I definitely wasn’t sharing in gentleness and respect, because I was too insecure. All this made me not want to share with anyone anymore again. I guess in a way it came down to, me wanting to look good, while making God not look bad. I wasn’t doing either very well, and that my friends is a people pleasers worst nightmare.

3 Reasons You Need To Share Your Faith (& that goes for me too)

But let me give you three reasons why it is essential that we share our faith.

1.) Because It’s The Great Commission.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is the command that Jesus gives His 11 disciples. This is one of the last things He tells them before He ascends to heaven. And if this is one the last things He says, then that means it’s important. These are some of His final words. And final words matter, they are what you remember, and what a person leaves you with.

When we visited Rwanda last year, I wanted to leave the children that we ministered to, something that would matter. Something that they could cling to, and something they would come back to. So we left notes of encouragement to them in their Bibles. Last words matter and the words of Jesus matter to us, as much as they mattered to those He was speaking them to over 2000 years ago.

And if those words of the Great Commission mattered then, they certainly mean the same thing now.

 2.) Because If What We Believe Is True, Then There Is Work To Be Done.

I know that what I believe is true. And as much as I know it is true, I know there is a world of hurting people out there, that need to hear about the love of Christ. The world is broken, and is longing for rescue, desiring for redemption, and begging to be free from the chains of sin.

And if He restored my life, then I need to be sure that I am a living proof of that restoration every day. I also need to be prepared to share my hope, at any moment.  

3.) Because If People Aren’t Reached With Truth, They Will Be Reached With Lies.

This one is the one that fuels my passion. This one is the one that screams at me when I am sitting with someone who is sharing the difficulties that they are going through, coupled with false hopes.

I want to continue this part by saying that God doesn’t need us to do anything. But He chooses to use us in His story. Because of that, we have the responsibility, opportunity, and blessing to take part in the Great Commission.

The New Testament is filled with Scripture warning about false teachers, and false teachings that lead to false hopes. Paul wrote to the people of Galatia to correct false teachings that had begun to spread in the churches he and Barnabas had established.

When I read this, it makes me really uncomfortable. I mean, how do we do this? How do we share our faith in a way that is filled with truth? Especially when we know that sometimes the truth is a hard pill to swallow…

4 Ways To Speak Truth When Sharing Your Faith

1.) We begin by first revering Christ.

By remembering Him, the perfecter of our faith. We remember that we can’t change anyone’s heart. But we worship the One who does. (and that takes the pressure off us, isn’t God good?)

2.) We prepare.

And how do we prepare? We take time to be in the Word and study the Word. We be in prayer that He gives us the words to say, He gives us opportunities to share, and that we take them when they come. It is also helpful if you regularly write out your story, or what God has been doing in your life.

3.) We trust Him.

Take our eyes off of our shortcomings, and the ways that we have failed, and we put them on the One who is unfailing. We trust that He will give us the words to say, and take courage knowing that He is the only One who can move in someone’s heart.

4.) And then we pray again.

We pray that His truth prevails. That His truth is remembered, and that His truth goes forth.

The world is in need of a hope; a hope that doesn’t disappoint. My friends, be bold, be fearless, keep your eyes on Him, and let Him do the work as you walk out your faith with everyone you meet.

Join the Conversation on Sharing Your Faith

We would love to hear what your fears are in sharing your faith, and also what helps you to be prepared to answer the question “where does your hope come from?”

3 reasons we need to share our faith and 4 things that will help us do so… Click To Tweet

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