Share the Faith!

This final retreat lesson was written with a few people in mind. One of my kids was wanting to share his faith with a particular friend but was afraid his friend would think he was a freak. A close friend of mine was wanting to share her faith with her family and this was a new and frightening idea because she wasn't raised in a "regular, church-going" family. Another friend had just gotten a new job with a government agency and he was rediscovering his faith and talked about his concern over whether or not he was allowed to share anything. I find it interesting how desire or the need to share our faith with others can stir up the strongest feelings of dread and fear.

I think we put so much pressure on ourselves when we consider sharing our faith with others. We think we have to have all this "expert Bible knowledge" or something. We are sometimes afraid of the questions our friends and loved ones might ask and we are worried we will look stupid if we don't know the answer or where to find something in the Bible. We are afraid of looking like a "Jesus freak" or coming off like a judgmental religious zealot. It makes me laugh when I look back at my high school days and the way we thought our faith was to be shared. Sometimes we were loving and other times I think we may have put some people off with our righteous attitudes but I have no doubt that we planted seeds of faith in a few people.

The more I think about it the more I realize that all that self-imposed pressure is so unnecessary. I believe we all have moments we share our faith without even thinking about it. The way we live our lives and the decisions we make are sometimes the most obvious way we witness. Our day to day attitudes and how we deal with problems are other ways we witness. A prayer before meals is another way we show our spiritual gratitude. Honestly, when you think about it, some days we are GOOD and powerful witnesses for the Lord and other days, we are probably not the best people in the world to use as examples of Christian living. That's the way "free will" works. I just want you to realize that sharing your faith doesn't have to be difficult so don't make it difficult. Sharing your faith doesn't have to take hours. You can share your faith in brief moments. Be kind, be loving, give a hug now and then and open up conversations so that others can feel free to ask you questions. God will give you the words to say when you need to say them if you keep an open heart for His advice.

SHARE THE FAITH, SISTER!

Who was the FIRST person to discuss his/her faith with you? Do you even remember? Think about when you first heard about our Lord, Jesus Christ; not when you were SAVED but when the seed of faith was PLANTED.

If you were raised in a Christian household, it may have been your family who brought it up to you. It may be difficult to recall ever not being a Christian. You may have been brought up in a family that attended church but faith discussions didn't happen very often. Either way, the sharing of faith within the family took place at some point in time. How much effort do you think went into that type of sharing? How much effort do you put into that type of sharing within your own family or circle of friends now? Do you even think about it? Do you even worry about how it's done?

If you weren't introduced to the Christian faith at home but heard about it from friends, co-workers or acquaintances, do you recall how it was brought up? Chances are the VERY FIRST TIME you heard about Christianity, you weren't saved at that very moment. Were you offended by the person who brought it up? Did it make you dislike that person or group? What type of effort do you think went into that moment of sharing his/her/their faith? Do you think that witness took a great risk in sharing with you? Did you already know that witness was a Christian? What do you think people think of you? Do you think others would guess you were a Christian if they didn't already know it? Just a thought.

Too often we make ourselves feel uncomfortable about sharing our faith. Perhaps it's because we are afraid of offending someone. It could be that you don't consider yourself to be "expert" enough to tell someone what you believe and why you believe it. Maybe we hesitate to share because we think the "timing just isn't right, yet." Answer the following questions:
Have you ever told anyone when you were going on a retreat? Have you ever mentioned to anyone that you go to church? Have you ever asked anyone what church he/she attends? Have you told anyone who doesn't attend your church about anything happening at your church or Sunday School class? Have you ever told anyone a funny story about someone in your church? Have you ever invited anyone to your church or to a church sponsored event? Have you ever prayed over your meal with others you aren't sure are Christian?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, guess what? You've opened the door to sharing your faith. Talking about being a Christian doesn't require drama. Sharing your faith doesn't require that you give a speech, confess your sins or share your personal testimony. You don't have to be able to quote the Bible or pull random verses out of the Bible like a pastor can do. All it takes is the ability to have a conversation. Most women share their opinions with other women. We talk about clothes, movies, sale prices on groceries and whether or not we like a certain restaurant. Guess what! You can share your opinion about your church and the events that happen there, too. Maybe someone made a great dish at the last gathering and you'd love to have the recipe. Tell someone! Believe it or not, that is a great way to open the door to many conversations that lead to the sharing of your faith.

Think about the conversations you've had over the past week. How often have you had the opportunity to talk about your faith? Whether you took the opportunity or not, consider arming yourself with the ability to talk about our Lord, Jesus Christ, at least once every day. Share with your family first. Once you are used to bringing up Jesus every day with them, you'll be amazed at how natural it will be to bring up Jesus with others outside your family. You wouldn't be here this weekend if others hadn't shared their faith with you. (remember this was written for a weekend retreat)

Take a few minutes now to think of ways to open a conversation that would allow you to feel comfortable about bringing up your church, your faith, your experience this weekend and prayer concerns. Please consider that there is someone out there that only YOU can reach. May you be a blessing upon someone in need of God's word!

Please pray for wisdom, strength and for the ability to share God's word knowing "...that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you." - Thessalonians 3:1.