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Overcome the Fear That Makes You Not Share the Gospel

Overcome fear of sharing your faith

All followers of Jesus are called to share their faith and make disciples, something that is often called the Great Commission. It is an assignment that comes from Jesus himself.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19

Christian orthodoxy asserts that the command from Jesus applies not just to the 12 disciples, and not just to pastors and missionaries, but to every Christian. Indigitous believes that all Christians are missionaries; whatever you do for a living, we all have that calling in common. But many Christians don’t share their faith and the most common reason is fear – fear of awkwardness, fear of rejection, fear that they will offend someone. So how can Christians overcome that fear? We discussed that in the most recent episode of Indigitous PULSE.

It’s okay to be nervous

”I want to tell you that it’s okay. I’ve been sharing my faith since I became a Christian for ten years now, but every time it still makes me nervous,” says Jonah Jala, a digital missionary with Indigitous Manila. She always worries that she’ll be rejected or insulted if she shares her faith with someone.

Miheret Tilahun, a digital strategist with Cru, agrees. “It’s natural, even the fear of rejection,” he says. One thing that helps is to have the right perspective. While the conversation may make you nervous, it is of vital importance. “The impact is eternal and it’s about life and death. It’s about thinking about what will happen to this person if I don’t take this opportunity,” Miheret says.

Pray for the conversation

If you recognize the importance of having a spiritual conversation with someone but are feeling too nervous to do it, prayer is a great step. Ask God to give you courage, to open the heart of the person with whom you want to share, and to speak through you during the conversation. In Matthew 10:19, Jesus says this to his disciples:

“Do not worry about what you are to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

Matthew 10:19

Even the disciples were worried about what to say to people about Jesus, but Jesus himself told them not to worry and that God will give them the words to say. “Have the right attitude, pray about it, and go on and see what kind of words God is going to put in your mouth,” Miheret suggests.

Have a friend join you

Jonah suggests having a friend join you when you share your faith. If you are doing it over a WhatsApp chat, have a chat open with another friend who can encourage you, give you ideas, and pray for you during your conversation. “It helps you process your thoughts,” she says. Your friend can help you think through what to say next and can offer suggestions. They can “help you with the next right thing if you are frozen because you’re so overcome with emotion,” says Jonah.

If you’re a follower of Christ, you have a call to missions. If you have a phone, you can share your faith. That doesn’t mean it’s easy and it doesn’t mean you won’t feel nervous or awkward, but with prayer and some help, you can get through that and have a spiritual conversation of eternal impact. If you’re still unsure about how to have such a conversation, we recommend watching the entire Indigitous PULSE video below, which also includes information about relevant trainings to teach you evangelism. You can also join our email list, where we will send tips, best practices, and stories of inspiration about digital missions.