Witnessing

This post came from The Pursuit (you can read others from the website here). It was originally posted on April 3, 2011. Used by permission—thanks, Ariel!

Hey Girls,

I want to talk about something that has always been challenging for me as a Christian: witnessing.  We've all read it in the Bible; God wants us to publicly share our faith.  That sounds easy, but when you are in a classroom surrounded by people who only make fun of Jesus and live to party, it's extremely hard to open you mouth (I know from experience!).  So, often (at least I do!), we just kinda twist that command to mean that we only have to live good lives and that will be our testimony…right????

Well, not exactly.  Sharing the hope of the Gospel with our mouths is very important, something we can't just slink around.  So, you may be wondering, how exactly should I go about this? What can I say that won't come across as preaching or condemning them or just plain stupid?  I've had these same questions, so let me try to answer them:

1) Pray! Pray that God will open up doors of opportunity as well as make you sensitive to His voice and prompting.

2) Look!  Look for the right situation, the right moment when you can appropriately bring up the subject. This is crucial, because if you try to shove the Gospel on someone at the wrong moment, you could actually turn them off, causing them to be less interested in what you have to say.

3) Speak!  Don't try to summarize the whole Bible all at once!  Maybe question their way of thinking or behavior and then offer a different way or approach (one that is biblical of course).  Or present a smaller facet of the Gospel to them, one that fits the occasion.  Or maybe simply challenge their belief about God…there are so many ways, just be sensitive to what is appropriate and what is most beneficial to them.

I want to challenge you guys to think of three people you know who aren't saved and whom you care about.  Pray for them daily.  And then witness to them using these three steps (if you want ;).  I hope this helps and challenges you all!

Love,
Megan

Megan Brainerd, from New York, is a busy nursing student who loves to hang out with her friends, read, and play the piano. :) Contact her at piano93[at]verizon[dot]net.