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After deciding to follow Jesus, we begin looking for practical ways to show our faith and mature in it by serving those around us. If you are a part of a local church, that may look like volunteering on Sundays with the greeting team or helping out with the kids ministry. For others, it may look like signing up to pack food at a food bank or serve food to the homeless on your day off. And still, for so many of us, it can feel difficult to do any of these things due to the constant demand of life’s responsibilities that leave us frustrated. We may even feel guilty at the thought we are not living out our faith as God has called us to do. I’d like to propose that even in the busyness, there are many different ways to serve God and practically live out our faith while showing the love of Jesus to people around us. In fact, God has us precisely where we are so that we can show the gospel to the people in our daily lives. Here are a few ways to get started.
First and foremost, just because you may not work in vocational ministry (at or for a church) does not mean you are not qualified to talk to people about Jesus! Every believer is called to spread the word of the Good News of Jesus. Every. Single. One. That means you! Whether we feel like we are where we should be in life or not, we each have a unique opportunity to encourage those around us and point them to the source of our great joy; Jesus. The first step is to posture our hearts and shift our attitudes toward evangelism (Telling people about Jesus). We should have a posture of gratitude, and our attitudes should be willing. That means we are thankful for each moment we are granted and are not just willing but excited to show the love of Jesus to the people around us. If you feel like you don’t have many opportunities to share the gospel, I encourage you to start thinking differently about evangelism. When you shift your posture and attitude, it may surprise you when you begin to see opportunities appear almost out of nowhere.
Colossians 3:17 says:
"And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Scripture tells us to do everything for Jesus’ glory and to do so with gratitude in our hearts. What are you thankful for in this season of life? How can that motivate you to share your faith with others?
When thinking about sharing the Gospel with coworkers or strangers, it can be intimidating because we are worried they might ask questions we don’t have the answers to. The great news is that nobody has to be a Bible scholar to show the love of Jesus to anyone. Have you ever received a gift you felt you didn’t deserve? Has a friend or family member ever sent you an encouraging email or text that just made your day? These simple acts of kindness can profoundly affect us, and they’re even more impactful when they’re motivated by the source of all love and kindness!
James 2:18 tells us:
“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”
We understand that our Christian faith means we have to live differently, but sometimes we’re not quite sure what that looks like. The Bible talks about how these good things are obvious, but I’m sure we can all admit that they don’t seem so obvious at times. Let’s look at the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22): love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thinking through these, what “good deeds” can you accomplish for those around you? People see Jesus in us when we exercise the fruits. You might find that as you put these into practice more and more, people are drawn to you and may even ask you questions like, “Why are you so happy all the time?” What an awesome invitation to tell them about Jesus!
When I think about the word “evangelism,” I tend to think of street-corner preachers. Have you ever walked downtown in any major metropolitan city? You probably came across some guy with a megaphone yelling about Jesus at people. Maybe you have a different example of evangelism in your head, but if you share my view, then it’s no wonder we can feel intimidated and discouraged from joining in! Instead, I like to think of evangelism as an invitation. Of course, the most straightforward invitation is to ask someone to join you for church on Sunday, but there are other invitations I’d add to the list. What we really want to do is invite people into our lives. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul encourages the Thessalonians and says that he and his friends were delighted to share “not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”
When we truly invite people into our lives, we can show them a more complete picture of what it looks like to live in faith. Often, people only know who we are at work, but of course, we are so much more than that! What would it look like to invite someone into your life so you can show them what Jesus has done for you? Maybe your family has Sunday dinner together every week, and you can invite them to that. Perhaps you’re planning a weekend hike with some friends and you can invite them into the group. Or what if you ask them to be your gym buddy? Experiencing life together is one of the most effective ways (in my opinion) to communicate the Gospel. Questions and discussions come up naturally, so the door to talk about Jesus is bound to open. And most importantly, the Christian faith is about relationships. Jesus invites us into a relationship with Him, and He calls us to do the same when we evangelize.
God designed you uniquely and gave you a set of gifts to use for His glory. While we all have dreams to do more and be more in our lives, there is no better time than now and no better place than where you are to tell people about who Jesus is and what He’s done in your life.
Loves Jesus, the outdoors, and helping young men become the best version of themselves.