If there’s one thing that will consistently prick my anxiety, get my nerves going and make me start to sweat, it’s the thought of having to share my faith with someone. What if I say the wrong thing? What if it’s not perfect? What if I miss something? It’s intimidating and scary and most of the time I try to avoid it. But the thing is, when we look at the example of Jesus in the Bible, when He shares the Gospel, it’s not intimidating and scary. It’s intimate and simple. 

I recently was part of the IF: Gathering, a Christian conference for women.  One of the speakers was Hosanna Wong who spoke on How (Not) to Save the World, pulling from her book. She reflected that Jesus shared meals with people and met people where they were, usually in the midst of their sin. He sought out those like Zaccheus, a tax collector who took more money from the people than he should have. Jesus not only spoke to him but invited Himself over for lunch! Jesus does not set the standard of sharing our faith by lectures or by ‘beating people over the head’ with the Gospel. And it wasn’t glamorous or showy. He just did life with people, all the while pointing them to God. 

Hosanna Wong said “I grew up believing that I had to do something impressive to do something important. I grew up believing that I had to do something public to do something impactful. And it turns out that is a lie.” This really stood out to me. I often think that sharing the Gospel must be this big thing that I do. That I must have a polished speech and all the answers. The truth is much simpler. I need to make time for people, to listen to their stories, to enter into the messiness of their world, to not even speak or try to answer their questions, but to just be a safe person for them. 

Hosanna shared about her brother, who was struggling with his faith. She said she tried to get him to turn to God by preaching at him and forcing conversation about God. He didn’t respond well to that. She soon realized she needed another way to relate to him. She started to take an interest in his hobbies, one of which happened to be superheroes. She saw movies, scoured comic books stores, and bought shirts with him. And she did this for years. Hosanna didn’t do this with some ulterior motive, but genuinely wanted to deepen their relationship and connect with her brother. And yes, finally, one day he stopped by her house and he committed his life to Christ in what was an awkward but beautiful moment. 

We live in a society that wants easy answers and quick fixes. We have fast food and microwaves, fad diets and quick fitness plans. We want results and we want them yesterday. We want our loved ones to come to Christ; that’s a good thing, but it takes time. Sometimes we get tired of how long it’s taking. We lose hope. We feel like our prayers are hitting the ceiling. Yet, God is working. We might not see it, but He is. And He is using you and me. It might not be shiny and to the world it might not be impressive, but our consistent prayers, our intentional conversations, our love and our lives living out the Gospel are all important; they are impactful. These actions show people they are seen and hopefully point them toward Christ. Our lives should look different than those who don’t know Christ and others will notice and want to know why. 

So, hold onto hope. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) And when you feel anxiety rising at the thought of sharing your faith, remember that  your relationship is more important than an impressive speech. In those tiny moments of shared conversation and reflection, we can have a huge impact for the Kingdom. 

ABOUT OUR BLOGGER

Danielle (Dani) Rupp grew up in a small town in Ohio and is a true Buckeye fan, though she tries not to be obnoxious about it. In 2011 she came to PA to earn her Master of Social Work degree. After graduation Dani accepted a position as a mental health therapist for children and adolescents in Coatesville. She was a nanny for several years as well. During that time she lived in Kennett Square and attended Willowdale Chapel. She returned several years ago from South Asia where she learned to tolerate spicy food and cross the roads without being hit, as well as volunteered with International Justice Mission in their Aftercare Department. In her free time, Dani enjoys going on mission trips/traveling,  running, reading, and connecting with loved ones—preferably over coffee and a sweet treat.