In elementary school, my family opted out of the Halloween celebrations during October. This meant a few other students of different religions and I were often shuffled into a separate room and left to do different activities. I remember raising my hand, and asking if I could read from my pink and green Bible. I shared the gospel, ignored the snickers, and invited my classmates to follow Christ.
If only that boldness remained throughout the years. Christ was right when he said we should be like children.
Throughout adolescence and young adulthood, it hasn’t been as easy to share the gospel as it was that Halloween. However, each experience, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has helped me grow in boldness. Below are three important factors to help young adult Christians share the gospel.
1. Preach the Gospel to Yourself First
Much of the fear associated with evangelism comes from fear of man. Whether that’s rejection or shame, we all want to avoid being pushed aside or looked at strangely. To share the Lord’s Word well, we need to be filled by it and evangelize to ourselves first. We can so easily forget the very truth of God’s love that we want to share.
Rejection is easier to bear when we are accepted by the only judge who truly matters.
Rejection is easier to bear when we are accepted by the only judge who truly matters. When we cling to this understanding of the gospel, fear can take a back seat while urgency for the advancement of God’s kingdom takes the wheel. We must speak to our souls, much like the psalmist did, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives your iniquity, who heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3).
Regularly meditate on the Word as you seek to evangelize because we cannot pour from an empty cup.
2. Stand on the Shoulders of Your Community
Evangelism is not a one-man show. We were created for community, and that applies to nearly every aspect of the Christian life. As God’s people, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ bolster our faith, remind us of the importance of sharing the gospel, and come alongside us when fear begins to clamor for our attention.
When a classmate began to meet me for lunch in college and ask questions about the gospel, I turned to my church community for prayer, answers to questions I couldn’t handle, and encouragement. One of her first questions was why the first humans were allowed to marry their siblings if incest was wrong.
It wasn’t what I was used to talking about, but my church family reminded me to keep being open and kind and sharing as long as the Lord allowed me to in whatever way I could. They even spent time with my friend when she visited our church and answered her questions.
When a family member of mine who I had presumed was a Christian began to express to me that they weren’t, I ran to my church. The weight of that kind of evangelism was different than any I had encountered before, and I was unsure of how to handle it.
It felt sad, even, to be sharing the gospel with someone I loved so dearly and presumed was already saved. I couldn’t do it alone, and there was beauty in the strength that came from the church family around me. Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, “For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
No evangelistic opportunity is ever identical to another, and we have to seek wisdom in how we approach them. Often, that wisdom is found outside of ourselves, in others who have lived longer and have been walking alongside Christ. Lean on them, and glean their understanding as you forge ahead.
3. Take Every Opportunity
It’s so easy to box ourselves in with our idea of what evangelism should look like. While beautiful, it isn’t always going door to door on the street near your church. Evangelism can be coffee with an unbelieving family member, speaking up in your college class, going on a missions trip, or even posting on social media and responding to questions.
Take the opportunity to speak about your faith even if it isn’t directly related to an “evangelistic” opportunity. You never really know when a seed is being planted in someone’s (who you didn’t even know was listening) heart.
Fear is an unavoidable part of life in a broken world. As much as we wish to be steadfastly bold in every situation, there will come a time when our courage falls short, and rejection or embarrassment takes hold. When that time comes, let us pray to the Lord to help us cling to his gospel, to prioritize it above all else, and continue striving forward for the mobilization of the kingdom of God.
Daniela Angulo is a student at Florida International University, where she studies writing and English rhetoric. She is a member of Providence Road Church in Miami, Florida.
