One of the things that church people often make unnecessarily difficult and awkward is the idea of “sharing your faith”. Often the gospel of Jesus (which means good news) somehow turns into a weird sales presentation sprung on unsuspecting friends and co-workers instead of a joyous opportunity to share something amazing.
Here’s a tip to make sharing your faith easy: Simply replace the word “faith” with cookie…or sandwich…let’s just say lunch. If you felt compelled to share your lunch you wouldn’t stop strangers on the street to ask them if they wanted a bite of your sandwich…that would be weird. You probably wouldn’t randomly stop by a friends home and then try to convince your confused friend to eat half of your cookie. You definitely wouldn’t leave flyers around your workplace explaining why everyone else’s lunch is poisonous, but that you would be glad to provide a “poison free” lunch if they would only ask. :-) Yeah…all of those things sound awkward and ridiculous because they ARE!!!
The best way to share your lunch would be to wait till someone else was interested…that person who forgot their lunch on the counter before leaving for work…that hungry co-worker staring longingly at your cookies…the person who always complains everyday how tired they are of their same unsatisfying lunch selection…and simply offer to share with them. It’s not weird, or awkward, or hard to share a cookie…share a sandwich…share your lunch if you simply look around for person who is hungry…unsatisfied…someone who feels comfortable with you and offer to share.
Sharing your faith is easy. You just have to look around. Be patient. Be sincere. Notice when people are hungry…when they are hurting…when they are broken. It could be as simple as sharing your story, reaching out to an acquaintance going through a painful situation, inviting a friend to join you for a Sunday morning gathering, or even just answering a question about why you “seem different”. You may feel a bit nervous…but if you are honestly SHARING (Whether it be faith, cookies, or sandwiches) you NEVER have to feel bad about offering something good to someone who would benefit from your free gift.
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15