As I got to know her more, one thing that I really found amazing was that she had no shame at all to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Maggie finds it so easy to just walk up to a stranger and ask them if they have heard the gospel. When I hear her speak of the times she has witnessed to strangers, I get the feeling this is something that just comes so naturally to her, which I find very inspiring.
The bible tells us to go and tell the world of the good news that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15). One would think that after experiencing the love, joy and peace that God has given me, that I would find it so easy to tell others about it. That it would be as easy as telling others about how excited I was to have aced an exam or even winning a prize. But if truth be told, this hasn't been the case. Sharing my faith is not something I particularly find simple and I think many Christians also find themselves in the same situation.
So why do I find it so difficult to tell others about my faith?
The first thing that springs to mind is my fear of opposition and being ridiculed. The fact that we are living in an environment that is hostile towards Christian views, the existence of God or religion as a whole is what aggravates this fear in me. The negative responses I have received from people in the past regarding my faith has also added to this problem. I also worry that I do not know enough of the word of God and therefore may have difficulties answering questions that may come my way.
But if I really want to tell others about Christ, how do I combat these fears?
In 1 Thessalonians 2:1–15, Paul talks about the challenges they faced during his ministry in Thessalonica. He writes about how in spite of strong opposition, they dared to tell the gospel. Paul knew that the reason they preached the gospel was to please God and not to gain any praise from men. They believed that they spoke as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. They loved and cared for the people so much that they found delight in sharing the good news and urging others to come to God, and were even willing to bare hardship for their cause.
As I read through this passage, I realized that the issues that Paul faced are issues that we still face today. I recognize that I need to share my faith in love and not out of fear. I need to have the right attitude, pure motives and I also need to trust that God can do His work through me, and I shouldn't try and do it in my own strength. Just as God helped Paul through the hardships he faced in Thessalonica, so too can He do the same today. God gives us opportunities to share the gospel in so many ways. By being gentle, loving and caring toward others, or lending a helping hand to those in need, we reflect the love of God. Recognizing the opportunity and choosing to accept His guidance is important.
Once I was a party and I was really encouraged by the events that unfolded. I remember a guy asking me what I was doing the next day, which so happened to be a Sunday. So I told him that I was actually attending church. He told me he believed that there was some form of a higher being out there somewhere but even though he didn't know who this really was, he just prays anyway to whatever higher being this is. I found this very strange and I asked him whether it didn't bother him that he prays to a God that he doesn't even know? He thought it was a good question and said he had never really thought about it.
I have come to learn that I need to take courage and take that initial step and allow God to do the rest. Even though I didn't see the outcome of that conversation, I am hoping that I have at least placed a thought that will make this guy question who God really is, and may eventually lead him to Christ. It's not much, but at least it's a step forward for me.
I hope and pray that the delight I see in Maggie when she shares her faith will be a delight that I will possess in telling others of the love of God. For I would not be able to sit here today as a Christian, if it weren't for the missionaries that came to share their faith with me many years ago. To God be the glory.
Kandima Awendila was born in Mozambique and lives and works as an IT Service Desk Engineer on the Gold Coast.