witnessing: the scariest thing I never did

There was an invitation for our men's community Bible study filled out in my wallet, ready to be given to a man I see at the grocery store nearly every week. I've been praying for courage to invite him, and knew that the answer to my prayer hinged on my obedient step of faith. Yet as I approached this man today, I could already feel my courage fleeing. He was engaged in conversation with another man, and what little resolve I had left fled as well. We had a short little chat and the cart moved on.

Yet I was reluctant to let this opportunity go by as so many have in the past. I grabbed the loaf of French bread that was on my list, then stood by the dried fruit and picked up some cranberries, contemplating my next move. Finally I circled my cart around by the bacon, stood quietly trying to gain courage, and suddenly saw my friend bid farewell to the man he was talking with.* As if on cue, I walked up and asked him, "Have you ever been invited to this?" and handed him the invitation. We had a good chat about the Bible study, churches, our families and jobs. "I really appreciate this," he told me as I walked away. It didn't work for him to attend right now, but he asked me to please remind him in the future.

To say that it makes me nervous to talk to people is truly an understatement. My parents can attest to the fact that I have been painfully shy since I was just a little tyke. Being left for Sunday School, preschool, or any other activity away from my parents made me wish I could vanish into the floor. Then came kindergarten screening. I made it about halfway through before someone began to grill me with questions and I shut down, completely unwilling to talk or go through the rest of the stations in the screening. Yes, I made it into kindergarten by the skin of my teeth. They let me try again another day, after my parents had a chance to talk some confidence into me. Even when I was 16 and got my driver's licence, the first time I went through a drive-through to order, I pulled up to the speaker, turned to the passenger seat, and asked my dad if he could please just place the order instead of me. My wise father would not relent even though I was ready to burst into tears. (Thanks to him I can do the McDonald's thing today!)

Talking to others does not come naturally to me. Witnessing is even more foreign. I can barely sum up the courage to invite someone to a Bible study! Yet I am compelled to learn to share Christ with others, because I believe that it is only by the truth of the gospel men and women will be affected for eternity. Yet as I survey Christian experiences, I'm not sure witnessing comes naturally to anyone. Jesus knew this to be true: it's why he told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit's empowering before witnessing to the world about who He was! We need the supernatural power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to testify to Christ.

I am not a good conversationalist since I've spent so much of my life waiting for others to draw me out, but I'm beginning to learn. And the best way I've found to learn more about others is to ask them questions. There is no subject most people seem to enjoy talking about as much as themselves. So asking questions is a natural way to learn about others, show love, and eventually share God's truth with them. Yet I have continued to hesitate to share my faith, unsure of how to get into spiritual conversations with others. I've been praying for boldness, opportunities, and words to be a witness. The opportunities have come and gone for lack of being acted upon, but my biggest question continued to be: "if" I do get into a conversation with someone (bigger "if" that I would like it to be!), how do I turn it to spiritual things?

This past week my questions were answered as I read the book One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven by Mark Cahill. This man is passionate about sharing his faith. He shares account after account and strategy after strategy, including a chapter entitled, "Say what?" with questions to ask people to transition conversations to spiritual matters. Here are some of the questions he suggested:

1. Where are you on your spiritual journey? or What is happening spiritually in your life?

2. If you died tonight, are you 100-percent sure that you are going to heaven?

3. If you were to die tonight and God asked, "Why should I let you into my Heaven?" what would you say to Him?
(Believe it or not, I did spend a week witnessing in New York City almost 6 years ago and this is a question I asked many people there. The answers you get are very interesting and almost always center around being a good person.)

4. When you die, what do you think is on the other side? What do you think is out there when you walk out of here?

5. Why do you wear that cross? (Or any other religious or political symbol?)

And the list goes on...these are great conversation turners, aren't they? I had another in my Bible study this week that may be good when speaking to someone who considers themselves to be religious: "What do you think is the difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus?"

Cahill's book is great place to start if you are interesting in getting serious about sharing your faith. In fact, it may make you seriously examine why you are not serious about evangelism. After all, which is scarier: starting spiritual conversations or the fact that souls all around you are headed for an eternity spent in hell? The good news of Jesus Christ is worth sharing with others. Souls are hanging in the balance, and God has given each of us the incredible privilege of snatching a few from the fire (Jude 23) to be won to Him.

I'm considering the risk and looking for opportunities. Will you?

Jer. 20:9 "But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."


*I wish I had been bolder so that not one man, but two, would have heard the invitation.