Sharing Our Faith

I got into the sharing my faith business a little differently than most Christians. I got hired into it as a missionary! We planned and trained to share our faith for a long time. It took years! I even raised money so I could share my faith and still feed my family. It was a long process of packing up all our stuff, moving to Uganda, buying a used truck, renting a house....all for the purpose of sharing my faith.

Then I arrived and started the job and realized I had no clue how to do what I was supposed to do. Sharing my faith, evangelizing, preaching, still felt awkward and unwelcomed and ... well, to tell you the truth... not all that fun.

Today we will talk about sharpening the sharing part of our ministry skills. We have talked about prayer and talked about caring and now comes the hardest one of all. Actually speaking to people about our faith.

The problem we have in America is that evangelism (sharing our faith) makes us feel like hucksters. We feel like that unwanted salesman we find at our door, or that pesky telemarketer we hate to speak with. Even if we are pedaling a good product, what's to differentiate us from the average AMWAY salesperson who is also convinced of their wares? After all, there is a "price" to the gospel, that's why the Bible has all those stories about "counting the cost".... and in that regard we are "selling it" when we try and convince others.

Most preachers, at this point, would try and re-convince you that the thing you are selling is the most important thing in the world! There is a lot of truth in that, and the fact we are not all more ambitious about telling our friends is perhaps a commentary on our faith. However, I think the "sharing" part is not something we need to make an effort. It is the result, the product of a life of caring and prayer. If we pray for others and genuinely care for them, then we will share with them as well.

Mark