Why Do We Evangelize? (01)

“Perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:18)

Do you struggle with being motivated to evangelize? We all know we should evangelize. But mere obligation itself is not enough to move people to share their faith. How do we receive the passion to reach the lost, not just a spark that burns brightly for a while then soon goes out, but an enduring flame?

As I grew in my faith, I knew immediately one of the quintessences of our walk with Christ is to help others see and follow God. I desperately wanted to learn how to do this but there was no one who showed me how. Then my best friend in college went on a mission trip to Japan and came back a totally different person, full of peace and joy. It seemed like he finally found living for what truly matters. 

After college I told myself, I’m going on a mission trip to experience God in this way. It was the most exhausting two weeks of my life. Spending eight hours a day with Chinese students. Even though we couldn’t do anything openly evangelistic, we tried to love each student with the love of Jesus. Near the end of our time there I had a conversation with God. I was concerned about my student, her spiritual wellbeing. The LORD spoke to me like He spoke to the Prophet Jonah, “Do you have any right to be concerned about your student? You’ve only been with her for one week. You are not her parent. You did not raise her. How much more should I be concerned about the billion people in China and beyond that, the countless people in the world who do not know Me?” 

This encounter wrecked me. I came back with a natural desire to want to share about God with everyone. The experience was so real and palpable that it removed the fear of sharing with people about God. 

Once you know the heart of God, you cannot help but share Him with the world. It will transform your view of the world and people. From time to time, you may get tired and weary, but you will never stop sharing Christ’s love with others. 

Prayer
Ask God to reveal His heart for the lost through an encounter with Him and His word.