Evangelism for Chickens

EVANGELISM

FOR

CHICKENS

By: Elaine Muniak

"Repent and believe the gospel!!"

Are you afraid to share your faith with others? Does the thought of approaching a complete stranger make your stomach turn in knots or your heart race inside your chest? Or perhaps it’s the thought of witnessing to a friend or family member that makes you want to hide under your blanket until Jesus returns. This article is dedicated to us cowardly Christians out there.

I (Elaine) have much experience in the area of fear. I have never enjoyed getting up and speaking in public. I have always been a very shy person and get very nervous meeting and talking with new people. For presentations at school, I would begin to feel nauseous the night before I would be due to speak and it would just intensify as it got closer and closer to what I believed would be my total humiliation. Aside from that my life was pretty normal. Little did I know that this part of my personality would build into something which I had no idea how to cope with.

In late 2006, after the miscarriage of my first child, I had developed severe anxiety which resulted in my fear of leaving my own house (agoraphobia). I was petrified of the thought of going outside and having a panic attack in front of people and looking crazy so I avoided leaving my house at all costs. This went on for about two years before I was saved and the Lord began to help me with this problem. I have never shared this story about being agoraphobic but I felt that this would help people who read this to see that I am not an extroverted person who can approach anybody I see. It is through the strength God gives me alone that I am able to do what I do.

Has my fear completely subsided? Absolutely not! I still battle with fear and anxiety all the time. But through these approaches which I have listed below, I have been able to share my faith with others through many methods. So without further ado, here are some tips that have helped me in sharing the gospel with other people…

Witnessing tips for timid Christians:

1.      Realize it is okay to be afraid. This can help you to lean on Christ completely when you share your faith and not depend on your own skills or strength.

2.      Also remember that you are not going to be stoned. The disciples suffered great persecution in the early years of the Christian church. However, in today’s society, the most you will typically run into when sharing your faith is a no thank you or a snarky comment that may hurt your feelings. It is a small price to pay for souls to be saved.

3.      Read God’s Word. Part of developing confidence is knowing why we believe what we believe. Don’t get me wrong; you do NOT need to have all the answers to share your faith and you certainly shouldn’t wait until you do, but studying God’s Word can help us be more comfortable witnessing to others.

4.      Cling to verses on the subject of fear. We need to stand firm on God’s Word. If the Bible says it, it is true. Memorize scriptures relating to fear. This can be a great topical search to find out what the Bible has to say on the subject. 2 Timothy 1:7 has been one I have often repeated to myself.

5.      Pray. Spend time in the presence of God seeking Him. If we are not right in our relationship with Him, how can we lead others into a right relationship with Him? Also pray for a burden for the lost. This burden can help you push past your fear. The thought of a person spending an eternity in hell can make fear of rejection seem like a small thing in comparison.

6.      Start small. You don’t need to open-air preach to 3,000 your first time out. Begin by just leaving gospel tracts around at various locations (we have some great ones listed in our Resources section at www.me4jc.com) and work your way up to handing them to someone. My husband and I both started this way and now we have a variety of techniques we use to share the gospel with others.

7.      When you feel you can’t, do it anyway. I know this sounds very simple but it is true. We often let our fear defeat us when we should control our fear. Tell yourself you are not going to give in to the fear you feel and that you are going to step out in faith trusting that God will not let you fall.

8.      Find support. I have found it a great help to have a group of brothers and sisters with me when I share my faith. This helps you to realize you are not alone and if you do stumble at all you have someone there to help you. When I first started witnessing I really found comfort in my husband being with me because he knew more about evangelism than I did.

*Some verses on fear: Psalm 27:1, Hebrews 13:5b-6, Matthew 10:28