Something that many of us struggle with is "sharing Jesus".
We are supposed to be bold in our faith, but sometimes it's just hard. For me, it's part shyness, part not wanting to be seen as a hypocrite, part not knowing what to say. I'm sure most of us have either struggled with or are struggling with this aspect (sharing, witnessing, whatever you want to call it) of our Christian walk.
The other side of "sharing Jesus" goes something like this: "my spouse (friend, neighbor, child, etc) is a good, solid believer but won't share Jesus openly with other people." They want to know why that's so.
Well, I can't give a reason why, but what I will say is, "it's personal".
Let's face it, sharing what Jesus Christ has done for us (me) is not only an individual issue, it is a very personal issue.
That was a very broad stroke of a statement. To be really frank, I tend to be a man who has and often does wear my feelings and emotions more openly than other men. I will cry at certain movies (just ask my family). I love to hold babies. I cry at weddings and funerals. I am comfortable talking about feelings and emotions in a large group (although I have often said that I sometimes "don't care" about how someone "feels" about a particular item or issue - sometimes things are what they are, and it is irrelevant to waste time worrying about feelings; especially if those feelings cannot change or reform that "thing"; and this is an entirely separate issue). The bottom line is, we all relate differently from one another.
Let's go back and look at those 3 "excuses" that I mentioned before (if you feel guilty, don't worry, I've personally used them all). We'll also take a look at what Jesus Himself said about our needing to "share Jesus".
"I don't share Jesus with others because I'm shy". And so many of us are. Being shy is normal. It's easy to be a wall flower. It's easy to disappear into a crowd. Even if you're normally an outgoing, gregarious person, you've had times when you've felt completely alone in a crowded room (and you want to keep it that way).
You may not notice this by all of these posts and lessons, but I am shy. Very shy. Will I "shy away" from speaking to large groups? Normally no. If I'm teaching or making a presentation or even singing, I have no problem standing up in front of several hundred people. As long as I'm prepared!
But otherwise, I am more than happy helping to hold up the wall of the building for a couple of hours while nursing my club soda or disappearing into the kitchen to help. I have always been shy. My first days of kindergarten are still burned into my memory - not a pretty memory.
Breaking out of that shyness has taken lots of work. Effort had to be made. Almost more importantly, others had to believe in me. Others had to encourage me. Being in sales has forced me to "turn it on" when needed and come completely out of my protective shell to converse with people and customers. I had to learn to listen, rather than just put forth whatever I wanted to talk about. One thing I like most now, is being able to encourage others who are shy to stand up and put themselves out there. We all have a story to tell.
Why are we shy? There are tons of reasons. Lack of confidence. Lack of knowledge. Low self esteem. But when it comes to sharing Jesus and what He's done - remember it's what HE HAS DONE - God calls us to remember that the Holy Spirit will provide the knowledge, wisdom and words to speak. We have to remember that we're God's children; we're heirs to an Eternal Kingdom. We have to begin looking at ourselves the way God sees us when we put on Christ. We have to remember that God thinks we are Beautiful!
"I don't share Jesus because people know what I've done. I don't want to be seen as a hypocrite." Well, welcome to the club! Welcome to Club Human Being.
We Christians have to be brutally honest with ourselves about several things. One, we're (I am) more sinful than we can ever imagine (Jeremiah 17:9). Two, we're (I am) more loved than we ever dared hope (1 John 3:1). Three, we're (I'm) part of God's family and have Jesus' righteous qualities by faith alone (Galatians 4:19, 5:22-23). Four, we need (I need) to watch for things that compete with God (the idols of our life), then repent of them when found (John 5:21, Colosians 3:5). (Thanks to Pastor David Miles, Christian Resource Ministries.)
The world will always see us Christians as hyprocrites. That's just a matter of fact. We will never escape it. But those 4 truths above, when recognized and practiced, provide much personal comfort as we navigate this temporal existence.
Speaking personally, I often feel that I can't effectively share Christ because of my past: how I've improperly treated someone; the times when I was late (sometimes very late) paying someone for work performed at my home or business; how I participated in crude stories or activities knowing full well that I shouldn't have; and the laundry list goes on. If we can remember these times, we're sure that our unsaved friends and neighbors will too. We don't want to be that ugly Christian who is raising their hands in praise at the 11:00 am service, then is cursing someone out in the grocery store parking lot at 12:30 the same day.
We know that we've been saved by the redeeming work of Jesus on the Cross. We know that God is working on us from the inside out. We would like to be known for who, and whose, we now are, but our past dogs us. But we've got (I've got) to start unloading that baggage. I've accepted and received steps one, two, and three above, but step four is an ongoing excercise. We are (I am) sinners, we (I) deserve death; we are loved by God our Father, the Creator of all things and loved so much that He provided His only Son to atone for our (my) sinful lives. Now, as believers, we're (I'm) part of the eternal, glorious family of God. The hard part is acting like it; acting like I believe it. Being vigilant in my life when it comes to sin is a full time effort. That's why being, reading, and praying daily is so important.
We want other people to experience the love and forgiveness that we have experienced. We want it to be "real" and not phony. We don't want to be seen as hypocrites.
"I don't share Jesus because I don't know what to say." That's fair enough, but each of us has a personal story as to how God has worked and continues to work in our lives. That is a personal story that no one can take away from us. My story is different from your story. The beauty of the Christian faith and relationship is that God called us individually. It was personal; just like a Father would do.
An old friend once told me, "Ron, just tell people what Jesus did in your life."
The fact of it all is that the Holy Spirit will give us the right words to say. Jesus said in Luke 12:11-12, "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
If we're in the Bible each and every day, if we're praying (not just talking to God but listening and being with Him - more about this here), we will gain all the words we need to share with others what Jesus has done in our lives.
The old addage, GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) is true. With what are we filling our minds? What kind of music do we listen to? I love listening to talk radio and politics, but my mind needs a mental shower! For evey hour of politics, I make sure that I listen to 2 or more hours of Christian talk radio (preaching/teaching) or music. The days that I listen to more "good", the better my attitude and day is. I have reinforced who and Whose I truly am.
Speaking personally, the more I have practiced what to say in writing these posts and teaching Sunday school, I'm learning more and better ways to talk about Jesus every day in a variety of ways. I look for ways to weave different aspects of God into normal conversations. The more I do, the more natural - and un-forced - it becomes. The more often I read and reread Scripture, the more it penetrates my vocabulary and becomes a part of my speech. I now look for opportunities to pray for other peoples needs, sometimes right on the spot. To the unbeliever, that can be a powerful witness and time of sharing Jesus.
Now let's look at what Jesus said about sharing Jesus. After going back and forth through the Gospels, I'm confused and perplexed. Most of the time, Jesus says something like this: "don't tell anyone" or "go and show the priests".
For the person who is leaning toward excuses one and two above, those are terrific verses to use to avoid sharing Jesus! In fact, I could only find TWO verses in the four Gospels that said anything about going and telling others about Jesus - the thing to notice is that this is before Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Only in one instance does Jesus tell someone to share what He had done for them. We'll look at that verse in just a bit.
As I was searching through the Gospels, it was painfully obvious that Jesus almost always seemed to discourage people talking about Him; especially if He had miraculously touched or healed them. Many of the healings mentioned in Matthew don't say anything about sharing, but in all the synoptic Gospels Jesus specifically tells people to "keep quiet". Here are a few examples:
"Then Jesus said to him, 'See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'" Matthew 8:4, after Jesus had healed a man with leprosy.
"Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it." Mark 7:36, after Jesus had restored the hearing and voice of a deaf and mute man.
"Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him." After Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ in Mark 8:30.
"Then Jesus ordered him, 'Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.'" After healing the man with leprosy Luke 5:14 (parallel passage to Matthew 8:4).
It's only in Mark 5:19-20 where we read: "'Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.' So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed." As well as the parallel verse in Luke 8:39.
I think we can safely assume that in all of these instances those who were healed, as well as any other witnesses, did indeed tell what Jesus had done. But we're still left with the question of why He would even make that instruction. It doesn't make sense to us. I don't know why Jesus would command that we don't tell others about what He's done.
But then something changes. After the resurrection, Jesus tells us "'Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" Matthew 28:19-20. We are to purposefully teach and make disciples of all peoples, wherever we are. We are tell people everywhere all the good things Jesus has done for us. We are to "proclaim the Kingdom of God." Luke 9:60.
Why this change? Honestly, I'm not sure. But I think the difference could be this: before His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to be "just a man", He had not been glorified, He had not finished the work He had come to do. Very few people could understand who and what Jesus was. "Healers" had come and gone. Prophets had lived and died.
Jesus was different. Jesus had lived and died. And lives again. Forever. Jesus proved that He was Lord over life and death. Jesus as a man with healing "powers" is one thing; but Jesus, when recognized and acknowledged as fully God and fully Man is in another league of thinking - and knowing. Jesus as a "good moral teacher" (what many non-Christians believe) is far different from Jesus is God Incarnate. There is supernatural power when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior and God. When we share those truths - Jesus, the Son of God who died for my sins and then rose again in absolute victory over death to guarantee me eternal life - with other people, that's power. That's a discussion that makes a difference. All we can do with our spouses, friends, children and neighbors who "fear" sharing Jesus is to encourage them. Pray for them. Pray for your own witness. God is most concerned about what you do. God is a personal God.
The more time we spend being with God - reading and studying the Bible, praying, worshiping (individually and corporately) - the more we will know God. The more we know God, the more confident we will be in sharing the Good News, the Gospel, of Jesus. And not only will we be better in sharing the Gospel, God willing, we will better live the Gospel. God gets the glory, He gives us joy.
Lord Jesus, help me to be bold in proclaiming what You have done in my life. Thank you for dying for me and removing my sins from Your sight. Thank you for Your Word which fills me with Truth and Life. Use me in ways that will amaze me and bring glory to You. Amen.
Be blessed in all that you do.
