If you are anything like me, you struggle to share your beliefs with others. When confronted with an opportunity to talk about my faith, I oftentimes withdraw into my shell.
I get so caught up in fear, worrying about what the other person will think, or what kinds of questions they might have. Will I be able to answer their questions? Will I make sense? What if I just sound crazy? Or worse, what if I do more harm than good because I’m unable to properly explain certain Biblical concepts.
This is something that I’ve struggled with over the years. You see, I’ve always been a quiet natured individual, shy in social situations, and very introverted. I hate being the center of attention. And I usually say as few words as possible.
With that being said, one thing we must remember when speaking to others about God is, IT’S NOT ABOUT US. It’s not about putting ourselves and “our” beliefs at the center of attention. Instead, it’s about making God the center of attention. It’s about pointing to Him and what He’s done for us.
That sounds great. Anything to get the spotlight off me!
But what if you just can’t shake that fear so easily? What happens when encouraging mantras, inspiring quotes, or internal pep-talks just aren’t enough to alleviate those anxieties? What then?
Should we just give up? Stop trying. Don’t ever attempt to bring God up because we won’t do a good job at sharing?
Of course not!
We, like our more extroverted/outgoing/outspoken/bold counterparts, have been called to evangelize. So, our fear, shyness, insecurities, anxieties, and whatever else, does not get us off the hook. We are not excused from the call to spread the good news just because we are too afraid.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7
As scripture tells us, fear is not from God. What that means is your fear can be defeated. God is bigger than that fear.
As I’m typing this, I’m realizing just how much I needed to hear that. Let’s say it again.
God is bigger than our fear!
This is amazing news. This means that eventually, I will become bolder and braver in my methods of evangelizing.
But until then, the greatest news is that God also meets us where we are. Which is so amazing. Thank God He meets us right where we are. Otherwise I’d never make it anywhere.
He knows our weaknesses. So, while He is working on refining us, He is also meeting us where we are, weaknesses and all.
Remember how he met Moses where he was?
God gave Moses a very big job. And Moses was terrified. He came up with all sorts of reasons why he was unqualified to perform such a huge undertaking. God tried to encourage Him. But Moses was still having a hard time coming to terms with his calling.
In the end, because God loved Moses, He decided to give Him some help. How relieving this must have been for Moses.
But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. ~ Exodus 4:13-16
God met Moses where he was, in his weakness, fear, and insecurity. He sent Moses a helper to take on the task that was before him.
However, notice that God still did not remove the command to go speak to Pharaoh about freeing the Israelites.
Although God empathized with Moses and gave him help, He still required Him to obey.
And that is what we all must do.
So, while I’m praying for God to make me bold enough to shout from a mountain top, for now, I will simply shout from a hill. Until you are brave enough to share the good news over a megaphone, you can share it through a blog post. Until you are courageous enough to debate the most aggressive atheist, you can show the love of Christ through your actions.
So, in closing, I would like to share 7 gentle ways that YOU can share your faith, even while being afraid.
1. Wear your faith.
This one is easy. Represent God with the clothing you wear. There are a ton of brands out there that sell beautiful t-shirts, hats, and other merchandise with inspiring Christian quotes and Bible verses.
Now, I can see how this might still be a little nerve wracking. I mean, what if someone asks you about your shirt?! Well, that brings us to tip number two…
2. Keep it simple when asked about your faith!
When approached about the words on your hoodie or symbol on your hat, just give a short, simple response. If someone has serious questions about your faith, welcome them to call, text, join your bible study, etc. Christianity can be simple, but there are some difficult topics that are a bit complex and deserve more than a 60 second conversation. If someone is really interested in learning more, they will reach out.
This way you don’t feel pressured to fumble over a speech in the checkout line at the grocery store. I don’t know about you, but when I’m put on the spot and unprepared, I typically don’t do too well with remembering basic English.
3. Use God language.
Say things like “God bless you”, “Stay Blessed”, or “Thank God…” in casual conversation. When someone asks how you are, say “I’m blessed”. If the sun is shining, say “It’s a beautiful day, God is good!” You can insert phrases like this in almost any conversation. I would just recommend not being too obvious or forced. People can sense that from a mile away.
4. Model Christ in gentle ways.
Remember the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians? Work on making these characteristics who you are on a daily basis! Show more love and kindness. Be good and faithful. Practice self-control and gentleness. This could make a lasting impact on someone without you even know it. It’s a quiet but effective way to show how Jesus is.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” ~ Galatians 5:22-23
5. Recommend a good Christian book.
Maybe you just don’t feel like you can properly explain a specific topic. Maybe they are asking about the more complicated and uncomfortable topics, like Hell, or homosexuality. Well, maybe you know of a good book that does a great job tackling these topics. Recommend it! They might just read it.
6. Keep cheat sheet.
This one is unique. But maybe there are certain parts of Christianity you just struggle to discuss for whatever reason. Make yourself some cheat codes that can help guide you. Have some notes on your phone or print off a cheat sheet. You could even hand one to your friend if you think it’d be helpful. I’ve never heard of anyone doing this, but why not?!
7. Give God the glory by sharing a short testimony.
When sharing with friends what you did over the weekend, casually say how “God was looking out for us on Saturday because…” and then keep it moving. Sometimes, planting a small seed is all God needs.
And remember, you don’t need to adopt all seven of these tips. You can simply choose one or two that you are most comfortable with. The end goal is to find a way to spread God’s Word.
I hope you enjoyed these tips. I admit, I have not tried all of these myself. But I’m so excited to get started. What quiet ways do you share your faith?
