Evangelism in the World
Evangelism—we love the concept, but for some reason, it’s one of the hardest things for us to do as Christians. What’s the reason for this?
I think I have a good guess: Sometimes we become comfortable with being comfortable. It sounds odd but for some reason, almost every Christian has been, and maybe still is at this area of their walk. Being comfortable isn’t a bad thing—I love being under my warm blanket when the temperature is just right, listening to some smooth jazz on a Friday evening. That’s what makes me comfy. But there are situations where comfort comes at the expense of the well-being of others. When it comes to evangelism, this is exactly the case.
“Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”– Isaiah 45:22, NIV
Oftentimes when we choose our comfort above going out and spreading the word of God, we deliberately affirm that our comfort is more important than another person's eternity. Isaiah 45:22 puts it perfectly: the only way to be saved is through turning to Jesus. This isn’t possible if the very people called to facilitate others getting saved are too caught up in if they’ll look too awkward, or if they won’t have the right words—you must understand that all this doesn’t matter!
So, now we understand the importance of why we need to evangelize, let's look at some practical ways we can do so. Unfortunately, we live in a time period much different than that of Peter or Paul, and so evangelism now definitely looks a lot different than it did back then. What’s important, though, is that the work needed to be done then, is the same amount of work that needs to be done now, and maybe even more. We live in a time where social media drives a lot of the things we do—whether this be scrolling hours and hours on TikTok or Instagram reels (yep…we live the same life), social media is super influential in our day and age. Knowing this, one practical way of evangelizing is…yep, you guessed it: posting on social media! This doesn’t have to be a video of you sharing the gospel (although this would be an amazing thing to do), but something as simple as a bible quote or a summary of a sermon you watched should do the trick—anything to show others that there is a God who loves them.
Another practical way is evangelizing with friends! Yes, this sounds cliché but friendship is a way to achieve a sense of comfort in uncomfortable situations. Being able to speak to a stranger with people you know by your side may allow you to speak more freely, knowing that they are there to help or add to anything you say if needed.
Lastly, evangelizing in subtle ways. This sounds a bit quirky, but when put into context, it actually proves to be very effective. Picture this: you work in a coffee shop and with each coffee you make, you attach a note that says Jesus loves you. Come back to learn more. You have just caused that person to think about the love of God in an environment that seems so subtle—yet the impact that is soon to come trumps the subtlety at which you shared this great news.
