Do You Know Jesus
It seemed so awkward and unnatural and I can remember feeling quite uncomfortable about his approach.
Luke 24:13-35
Reference: v.17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" (NIV Bible)
Explore: One of my greatest struggles in my faith is sharing my thoughts on Jesus with other people. I don't naturally have an evangelistic nature but I know that all of God's followers are called to share their faith with others. I guess I have seen it done so badly that I don't want to stuff it up. I can remember, as a teenager, I was travelling on a Sydney train with my family. As we were heading into the city a gentleman came and sat amongst us. As soon as someone made eye contact with him he blurted out the question, 'Do you know Jesus?' We were all Christians and dedicated to our faith and as soon as we said so he whipped a Bible from his back pocket and started quoting verses at us. It seemed so awkward and unnatural and I can remember feeling quite uncomfortable about his approach. On the one hand we could not fault his dedication and bravery, but on the other hand we wondered whether he was really going to connect with someone who didn't already believe.
Application: Everything that Jesus did can teach us something. Even after Jesus rose from the dead he was teaching us how to spread the Good News. As Jesus walked the road to Emmaus with two of his followers – both of which did not recognise Him – He shows us how to be positive evangelists. His opening question is, "What are you discussing?" He doesn't bring His own agenda; He doesn't start telling them about what He is thinking about, He starts the conversation by asking them what is on their mind. Once they start talking he is able to contribute and share His wisdom, but He hears from them first. So often we are so gung-ho at sharing our thoughts that we don't stop to find out where the other person is coming from first. It may sound a little back-to-front compared to other people's evangelism techniques, however if it's the way Jesus went about doing things then I think it's heading down the right track.
Prayer: Lord, so often we try to say the write words and yet we forget to hear from others first. Help us to share your love by listening to others. Amen.
How do you go about sharing your faith with others?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.