Sharing Your Faith Naturally
I grew up in a traditional Bible Belt church in Texas. The church—and when I say “church,” I mean the people not the building—was instrumental in solidifying my faith. There were many sermons about how to share our faith with others, but this topic always felt scary to me. What if I didn’t get the verses right? What if I didn’t represent Jesus well and messed it up?
What is ironic about those questions and feelings is that they make out the God I love so much to be too small to overcome my mistakes. Ouch! As my faith has matured into adulthood, I now realize that sharing faith can be simple and natural.
Actions Speak Louder
Many of us may have heard admonitions growing up such as:
- Behave in such a way that others will notice and ask what is different about you.
- Let your light shine so that others ask you why you’re so bright.
- Let the fruit of the spirit cause others to see Jesus in you.
While these are all true and good, they can be pressure- and anxiety-inducing more than encouraging.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33 NIV). The things he’s referring to are referenced earlier in the chapter and allude to our basic needs such as food and clothing.
If I spend my time seeking him first, then my actions will follow suit. If I am looking to him for approval and satisfaction, then I need not worry about “messing up.” I need only be faithful and willing when God presents an opportunity.
Our actions should speak first, but not out of pressure—rather, they should speak first in hope of shining in a way that someone will ask us about our faith. Our actions should be centered on loving God and loving his people. We need only be faithful and ready to give God credit when anything someone notices in our life is due to him.
Words Matter Too
While I think actions may lead, our words matter as well. While there are many Scriptures that can help us point someone to Christ, we see Jesus model simple relationships. We see him listening and asking questions of those he comes into contact with. We see him repeatedly telling stories.
If you are a follower of Christ, how long does it take for you to mention God or Jesus as you’re getting to know someone? I’m not saying we should begin all introductions with, “Hi, my name is Amy and I love Jesus!” While that’s true, I would just sound like a weirdo.
I am saying that while I grow in relationship with others, as I reveal more of myself, I want to make sure Jesus comes into the conversation as a key part of my story. He is an integral part of the way my life has played out, so it would be disingenuous to skip over those parts.
I don’t need to have every critical verse memorized to walk someone down the “Roman’s Road.” I simply need to tell my story in ways that weave in Jesus, as his story is integrally interwoven with mine already. We need not be pushy—the Holy Spirit will do his work in hearts as he sees fit. We simply need to be open and honest.
Practice Your Story with Friends
We did an exercise in the small group of our church plant to practice telling our story with Christ at the center. The Bible story as a whole is built on a progression of creation, fall, redemption, and new creation. Our stories have those same elements if we look for them.
Each person took an evening to tell us a 20- to 30-minute version of the key events of his or her life. We listened and pointed out where we saw God creating something. We pointed out where we saw sin or brokenness reminding us of the fall. We pointed out where we saw God redeem the brokenness, and then we celebrated when God started something new.
Practicing telling your story with others who already know Christ can be an effective way of getting feedback on bringing Christ into the story as the hero. This kind of practice can make telling your story so much more natural when you are in a situation with someone who doesn’t know Jesus.
I hope there are a few reminders here that take the pressure off. God is the one who calls others to himself. We are simply asked to be faithful and open in helping him. Our role is to be open and willing and to seek him first. We can trust our big God to handle the rest.
is a Jesus follower, wife, mom of three, finance director, and lover of sarcasm and deep conversations with friends. She also loves camping, rafting, skiing, sewing, and hosting others in her home.
Photograph © Manh Le, used with permission
