It is always exciting and inspiring to hear stories of someone sharing the Gospel with a neighbor, coworker, or even stranger and experiencing the privilege of praying with them to accept the gift of salvation. Yet so many Christians, while aware of the calling to share the Gospel, honestly do not feel capable or equipped to share the good news of the Gospel. People express anxiety over saying the right thing or miscommunicating or leaving something important out.
Unfortunately, we make the good news of the Gospel something way more complicated and cerebral than it was ever intended to be! The reality that we are sinners in need of a savior and that we are broken and can’t ever fix ourselves is the story we need to tell. We decide we can’t evangelize, and we are not equipped to be Gospel messengers because we think for some reason that we need to have a certain script memorized before we can share the truth of the grace that saved us.
What if we taught the people sitting in our congregations how to share their stories in a way that could impact the lives around them for Christ?
What if we taught them how the Lord can redeem the hard things they have walked through to help others to take a step toward understanding Christ’s deep love for them?
What if we showed them the beautiful truth that the trials in their lives were designed to become their testimony, and the pain they have experienced can become the passion they need to share the Gospel with other hurting people?
One of the most important things we can do is teach people the power of sharing their stories. They don’t have to evangelize; they simply have to live out the grace they have received and be willing to tell their own story of redemption and brokenness and healing. Not every story is full of tragedy and pain, but we all have a place of brokenness and need. We all have experienced the gift of grace. Learning to share their story with authenticity and transparency is the strongest and purest form of evangelism!
The grace of the Gospel is woven through the lives of those who choose to follow Christ. Helping a believer look back through their lives and learn to recognize the fingerprints of the Father throughout the events of life is powerful. It can change their very understanding of their own pain, grief, and loss. It often empowers them even more to share with others how the Lord rescued them and gave them new life.
There will be those who don’t know their story, that may feel confused at that concept. This uncertainty should certainly be explored. How do you know that you have experienced salvation? Are you aware of your need for a savior? Do you remember a time before you knew Jesus? Do you experience communication with Him? Understanding this intangible gift of grace and redemption can be a journey. Allowing it to transition from a head knowledge to a heart knowledge and life transforming understanding, often happens in steps. Yet the power of that transformation is exactly what will eventually spur them on to share their story.
What a gift it is that we can lead someone on that very journey? Not only because it brings them to the foot of the cross, but also because it empowers and equips them to live out the Great Commission and to walk in the fullness of obedience and discipleship!
Have you discovered ways to help people understand their own testimonies and the power of their story? What can you do this fall to create discussion and discipleship in this area?
