One Reason Why I Did Not Share the Gospel
How old were you the first time you heard someone share the gospel outside of church? I was in my 40s. It happened when I was in the backseat of a taxi in Beirut. My friend Caroline, a Syrian refugee, asked our Muslim taxi driver if he knew Jesus. He said, “No. Who is Jesus?”
As I sat in that backseat and listened as Caroline shared the Good News, I kept thinking, “Is this even allowed here?” And then I thought,
“I could never share the gospel like that in America.”
The Catalyst Who Changed My Thoughts
Before Caroline, it never occurred to me to share the gospel with anyone. Afterward, I began to wonder if she could do it so boldly in the Middle East, maybe I could do it as well. Why had I never thought to share my faith before? I had always thought of myself as a good Christian girl just working and raising a family in the suburbs. I went to church most Sundays, volunteered in the children’s ministry, prayed, and did women’s Bible studies. I supported several missionaries who went to share the gospel over “there,” wherever “there” was.
My believing friends were mostly like me. We were crazy busy working, raising families, doing Bible studies, volunteering. We were overwhelmed and exhausted at the day’s end. No one I knew had the time or energy to share the hope of Jesus with anyone who wasn’t already in our friend circles. We didn’t even talk about it.
Unaware and Unintentional
In my defense, when I was a kid, ninety-three percent of Americans identified as Christian. All my friends were already Christian. There weren’t many people of other faiths or cultures living around me. So for a long time, I never thought about sharing my faith with anyone in the United States.
A wise mentor taught me, “Thoughts lead to actions, and actions lead to results.” Knowing that my faith-filled friends and I were completely unaware of our need to share our faith, how intentional do you think our actions were toward sharing the gospel? Yup, pretty unintentional. The Lord might have been wooing people to himself all around us, and we never noticed. We were focused on raising our families, keeping safe, and pursuing the great American dream. How about you?
So Much Has Changed
Now less than 65% of Americans identify as Christian. People from many nations live here, and our neighbors are Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or “None’s.” We can cross the street to be authentic Christian witnesses among many nations. Yet most Christians are not doing so.
It’s ironic. Jesus told us to go be His witnesses among the nations. Now many of the world’s unreached people groups live in America. And we’re not sharing the good news.
I understand. I felt that same way until I heard Caroline share the gospel in the backseat of that taxi in the Middle East. She was the catalyst who forever changed my thoughts and actions in talking about my faith. I think she’ll inspire you too. Go here now to listen to her share her inspiring story on the iHOPE Empowers podcast.
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Tags: share the gospel, share the gospel across cultures, evangelism. good news, share the good news, Jesus
