In my early days as believers, my husband and I attended a Bible study with other young couples. One of the men present had such a gift for evangelism. He loved sharing the gospel with anyone who would listen, even people who didn’t seem interested.
As an introvert, this wasn’t something I could easily do, much less feel comfortable doing. After all, I would justify myself by thinking, “And God gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” Ephesians 4:11 True, evangelism is not for everyone…
While there is some truth to this, and there are certainly some who truly have the gift of evangelism, like the friend I mentioned earlier, we are all called to be Christian witnesses nonetheless. “But you will receive power, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Did you know that the word “evangelize” actually has a slightly different meaning than “to be a Christian witness”? When people evangelize, they are literally preaching the Christian gospel and converting others. Christian witnesses, on the other hand, not only share their faith in Jesus, but their lifestyle reflects that faith. It involves embodying values such as love, compassion, and service, and testifying to the reality of God’s salvation through both words and daily actions. ”The approach in each case is completely different. However, the end result is the same. Win souls to Christ.
Let’s look at three easy ways to be a Christian witness.
your story is your story
“Let those who have been delivered by the Lord, whom he has delivered from the hand of their enemies, tell their story.” Psalm 107:2
When I talk to my family and friends at church, they’ve all heard me say, “Your story is your story.” What I’m basically saying is that when you share what God has done in your life, there is no fear or anxiety. We all have different stories, unique ways the Lord has drawn us to Himself, and how our lives have changed as a result. No one can dispute or refute these points. This is a living spiritual experience with our Lord and Savior.
When my husband was in seminary, all seminarians had to complete a “life map” that outlined the story of their lives, including when and where the Lord met them. Not only is this a great exercise to strengthen your faith by reminding you of how the Lord has had His hand in your life, even before you “knew” Him, all the way through your life.
After your conversion, you can now record your story and share it with others as a testimony of what Christ has done for you.
You might wonder how my story would encourage others if their life experiences were very different from mine. Because they think that if the Lord can do it for them, He will do it for me in my situation.
Basically, a life map shows you that the Lord was calling you to Himself from the beginning of your life, even if you didn’t realize it when you look back. That those situations and situations in your life have an eternal purpose.
You’ll never know how your story will forever impact others unless you share it with others. Even introverts feel comfortable talking about their lived experiences. Creating a “life map” will give you more confidence to share your story. How would you introduce the topic? Conversations can sometimes provide an opportunity to share. You may also feel the urge to push through when something (the Holy Spirit) is urging you to tell your story. Or maybe someone is going through a difficult time similar to the one you went through before you came to know the Lord. Tell your story.
Please complete your own “life map”. Not only will you be blessed, but you will be ready to share your story and bring glory to God.
“Storytelling”
“We will not hide them from our children, but we will pass on to the next generation the glorious deeds of the Lord and his power and the miracles he has done.” Psalm 78:4
In addition to our own personal stories, the Bible contains some of the greatest stories ever told. The story of our salvation through Jesus Christ is told from Genesis to Revelation.
The Israelites of the Old Testament were taught by God to continually tell the story of their great deliverance from the hard labor of the Egyptians and how the Lord brought them to safety by parting the Red Sea and destroying those who were pursuing them. Moses retold this story many times, and to this day, Jews continue to tell the story of God’s salvation every Passover.
Why did they have to keep repeating the same story over and over again? It was not only to encourage their own faith and remind them of all that God had done for them, but also to ensure that their children, their children’s children, and so on, would have the same hope and live in that truth. Not only that, but like the story of Rahab, who heard what God had done for the Israelites through these stories, she created a safe place for the people Joshua sent to survey the land, and as a result, she and her entire family were saved and protected by God.
Our church supports missionaries whose mission is to “tell the story” as a means of witnessing to people in countries where it is illegal to share the gospel. The entire ministry is built around taking a passage of Scripture and developing a “story” around it that can be told individually, but with the same impact and lessons as the gospel message. This involved learning the region’s language and then having translators turn Bible passages into stories.
You don’t need to go to a foreign and dangerous land to do the same thing. Is there a Bible verse or story that really resonates with you? Whether it’s something that opens your eyes to the gospel, a story that encourages you and helps you when you’re going through a difficult time, or a story about a Bible character you aspire to be like, remember that story. Please share with others. No need to bother. Again, it’s amazing how something comes up in a conversation that is the perfect introduction to sharing the exact story you remember. Perhaps the Lord has led you down that path at a time like this.
And for young mothers out there, their children are never too young to hear Bible stories. There are many great resources out there that help you develop a “story” that doesn’t compromise on truth and shares the gospel in language that is easy for little ears to understand. What a place to preach in your own home! The more they hear, the more they will retell the story to their friends.
As my husband always says, when the congregation encourages him about a sermon he has shared, “You have good content.” surely! The Bible is full of amazing stories that testify to God’s grace, mercy, and love. The more you immerse yourself in the Bible, the easier it will be to share the story with others. They come to mind naturally.
Ask the Lord to give you the courage and the words to speak, even if it is outside your comfort zone. He will answer. Then you will be blessed with your speaking and others will be blessed as well.
Proclaiming Christ Without Words
“Live a good life among the Gentiles, so that even though they accuse you of evil, they may see your good deeds and glorify God in the day when he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:12
What does the phrase “You may be the only Bible a person reads” mean? Our best testimony as Christians is how we act. Especially in difficult situations. We’re all human, and it’s not always easy to “bite your tongue” or give grace in moments of frustration, or to not be afraid when something scary happens.
When I first became a believer, I loved reading books by so-called Christian mentors, books about women of faith such as Elizabeth Elliott, Amy Carmichael, Susannah Wesley, and Corrie ten Boom. The more I read their stories, the more I marveled at how their faith sustained them, even though many of them did not have easy lives. I wanted to be like them, not in a cosplay sense, but in a transformative sense.
Indeed, in some Biblical stories we can see ourselves in the Biblical characters in terms of their weaknesses and how they were overcome with the Lord’s help. The more we stay in the Word, the more our actions change. When we are filled with faith and immersed in Godly acts, we begin to imitate those same attitudes.
When a person’s behavior in the face of trials is marked by a peace that passes all understanding, it has a great impact. There is nothing more powerful than seeing someone receive a terminal diagnosis and accept it with grace and peace. Or someone who has lost everything and still has hope. What about those who are treated badly by others and yet demonstrate true patience and kindness? These are just a few examples of how we can proclaim Christ without using words.
Remember the world is watching you. We want someone to look at us and think, “That person was with Jesus.” Remember the line from the song They Will Know We are Christians? “And they will know by our love, by our love, that we are Christians, yea, by our love they will know that we are Christians.” But it’s also important to note that what we look like when no one is looking also affects how we look when someone is watching.
No matter how shy we are, this is the easiest way to be a Christian witness. May our lives bear witness to the love of Christ through every opportunity that comes our way.
Lord, help us to be Christian witnesses in our daily lives. In the name of Jesus, amen. Do you have a hard time witnessing to others about your faith?
How will you be a Christian witness this week?
Photo credit: Unsplash/Alexis Brown
