For such a difficult subject, I think this chapter was brilliantly written. Most Christians I know are very uncomfortable with talking about their faith, and many are even petrified of praying with a friend to become a Christian. It's a weird scenario, when you think about it. What's the big deal talking with others about why you are a Christian and how they can become one?
As I've thought about the issue, a lot of it comes down to assumptions: publicly there is plenty of hostility towards Christians, so we assume that others we know are hostile as well. There is also a public frown against proselytizing: you believe what you want to believe, I'll believe what I want to believe, who are you to imply that your way is better than mine? This kind of attitude compels an assumption of social awkwardness when it comes to talking about personal faith. Also, what if when you start talking about your faith, others ask questions you can't answer, so you end up looking stupid?
It's possible that all three of those scenario's could get played out when you talk about your faith. Or not. Regardless, here are some thoughtful ideas from the chapter that I liked:
God has given you a Life Message to share. When you became a believer, you also became God's messenger. God wants to speak to the world through you. Paul said, "We speak the truth before God, as messengers of God."
Your Life Message has four parts to it:
* Your testimony: the story of how you began a relationship with Jesus
* Your life lessons: the most important lessons God has taught you
* Your godly passions: the issues God shaped you to care about most
* The Good News: the message of salvation
Your testimony is the story of how Christ has made a difference in your life. Peter tells us that we were chosen by God "to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you." This is the essence of witnessing - simply sharing your personal experiences regarding the Lord. In a courtroom, a witness isn't expected to argue the case, prove the truth, or press for a verdict; that is the job of attorneys. Witnesses simply report what happened to them or what they saw.
You may not be a Bible scholar, but you are the authority on your life, and it's hard to argue with personal experience. Personal stories are also easier to relate to than principles, and people love to hear them. Shared stories build a relational bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to theirs. Many people who won't accept the authority of the Bible will listen to a humble, personal story.
The second part of your life message is the truths God has taught you from experiences with him. These are lessons and insights you have learned about God, relationships, problems, temptations, and other aspects of life. While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experience of others. There isn't enough time to learn everything in life by trial and error. Imagine how much needless frustration could be avoided if we learned from each other's life lessons. Mature people develop the habit of extracting lessons from everyday experiences.
As you grow closer to God, he will give you a passion for something he cares about deeply so you can be a spokesman for him in the world. It may be a passion about a problem, a purpose, a principle, or a group of people. Whatever it is, you will feel compelled to speak up about it and do what you can to make a difference. You cannot keep yourself from talking about what you care about most.
God gives some people a godly passion to champion a cause. It's often a problem they personally experienced such as abuse, addiction, infertility, depression, a disease, or some other difficulty. Sometimes God gives people a passion to speak up for a group of others who can't speak for themselves: the unborn, the persecuted, the poor, the imprisoned, the mistreated, the disadvantaged, and those how are denied justice. The Bible is filled with commands to defend the defenseless.
God uses passionate people to further his kingdom. He may give you a godly passion for starting new churches, strengthening families, funding Bible translations, or training Christian leaders. You may be given a godly passion for reaching a particular group of people with the gospel: businessmen, teenagers, foreign exchange students, young mothers, or those with a particular hobby or sport. If you ask God, he will burden your heart for a specific country or ethnic group that desperately needs a strong Christian witness. God gives us different passions so that everything he wants done in the world will get done.
What is the Good News? "The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself - that it begins and ends with faith." "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others." Most important, you must learn to love people the way God does. God has never made a person he didn't love. Everybody matters to him. We must care about unbelievers because God does. If you've been afraid to share the Good News with those around you, ask God to fill your heart with his love for them.
The Bible says, "[God] does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives."Don't miss the opportunities God is giving you.
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