Read and Grow

Do you remember how you felt when you first started following Jesus – when you first understood the gravity of the gospel? Not just in your mind, but deep in your heart? When the emptiness was filled with the fullness of love. Don’t forget that.

This gospel message of hope has been resounding throughout humanity since Jesus stood on that mountain and said to his 12 friends, “Go tell everyone! Don’t keep this to yourself.” This call wasn’t meant for them alone. It was meant for you. You’re not meant to keep hope to yourself.

You know you hold the answer. You know you have hope. So what’s holding you back? What would happen if you trusted Jesus and shared this hope?

Here’s 3 encouragements if you’re holding back from sharing Jesus and stepping into the calling of the Great Commission:

1. You have a purpose

If you’re feeling like your Christian journey could do with a bit more purpose, remember that sharing Jesus is not just an action – it’s a calling for all of us. By sharing His love, you’re stepping into the divine purpose that Jesus has for your life.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
– Romans 10:13-14

2. It starts with you

Evangelism is not just for a chosen few – it’s a call from Jesus to all of us. You have your own unique circle of people who trust and value your words. By sharing your faith in your own genuine way, you can make a significant impact on their lives.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
– John 20:21

3. You are not alone

Never forget that you’re part of something bigger. Sharing Jesus can seem daunting, especially when it feels like you’re swimming against the tide. But you’re part of a global movement of people sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Your contribution, no matter how small it may seem, is vital.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
– ‍‍Hebrews 12:1

As you share the hope that you’ve found in Jesus, you’re stepping into your purpose as a follower of Jesus and taking your place in the greatest movement the world has ever seen. Participating in the salvation of your friends and family and building God’s kingdom on earth is the greatest privilege. Don’t hold back! You’re not alone. You’ve got this!

Have you ever wanted to share your faith with someone, but that little voice inside of you stopped you in your tracks? The problem is when we give fearful thoughts power in our mind they start to influence our behaviour, and can even stop us from being able to say yes to what the Holy Spirit wants us to do.

Overcoming fear leads to greater freedom but also greater obedience to the will of the Holy Spirit. As Christians we are called to be strong and courageous; to step out in faith and trust in God. But how do we do this when that voice of fear can feel so loud?

Have you heard of the principle, you reap what you sow? Whatever thoughts you pay the most attention to will grow. Literally! Your brain is constantly changing and evolving. Your thought patterns create physical neural pathways, and the pathways that get stronger and more automatic are the ones that get used the most. Whereas the pathways that are ignored or not used will eventually fade away.

Which thoughts are you watering? Thoughts of hope, grace, love, and courage? Or thoughts of fear, insecurity, and negativity? When it comes to talking about Jesus, are you giving power to the thoughts of fear, or the thoughts of who you are in Christ?

You have power over your mindset – you can choose to strengthen the right thoughts by filling your mind with the things of God. Paul the Apostle talks about this:

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realised. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”
– Philippians 4:8-9

Here’s some helpful tips on how to overcome fears and strengthen pathways of life:

Step 1: Notice and name the thought

By noticing and naming the thought, you are able to recognise it as a lie and speak truth to it. Doing this will help you separate yourself from the fear and break its power over you.

Step 2: Let the thought go

Don’t give the thought power by paying attention to it; simply let it go and bring your attention back to the present moment. Sometimes there’s value in getting someone else in for this step.

Step 3: Do something brave and courageous, no matter how small

Every action you take that goes against the instinct of fear is a step on the neural pathway that leads to Christ.

The next time you feel prompted to share your faith, don’t let fear hold you back. You are in charge of your thoughts! Take a deep breath and step out of your comfort zone – you never know what impact your courage could have on someone.

As a Christian, you may want to share Jesus, but sometimes it’s difficult to know what to say. You don’t want to “preach” at people, ruin the vibe of a conversation, or just seem plain weird. So, what should you do?

It’s easy to get so caught up in a moment that you forget you have a helper to guide you—the Holy Spirit, God Himself! (John 14:26). The secret to knowing how to bring up Jesus in the moment is to connect with the Holy Spirit and work in tandem with Him.

At first, listening to the Holy Spirit might seem intimidating or impossible. You might ask questions like, “How do I know it’s Him and not just me, or that the extra shot of coffee I had at lunch time?”

Learning to discern the Holy Spirit’s voice from the noise around you is key to sharing Jesus.

So let’s set some foundations:

1. The Holy Spirit is God: To recognise and understand the Holy Spirit’s voice, we need to know who the Holy Spirit is. The Bible says that He is part of the God-head with the Father and Jesus. While He is a mysterious expression of God that we can’t fully understand, He is an active force and wants to guide us, just like He guided so many people in the Bible (Luke 2:27-32, 2 Peter 1:21, Acts 8:29-31). As part of the God-head, the Holy Spirit shares the same character as God the Father and Jesus, so what you hear will always line up with God’s nature—loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, and so on (Galatians 5:22).
2. The Holy Spirit wants to be pursued: The Bible says that if we seek God, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13), and the same is true for the Holy Spirit. Spending time reading the Gospels or studying His character will help you learn to discern His voice—what He would and wouldn’t say (Romans 10:17). The Bible says that God’s word gives peace (Isaiah 32:17, John 14:27, Romans 15:13, Philippians 4:7), so if you hear something that you don’t feel peace about, you should question it. You can also pray that the voice of the Holy Spirit will become clear to you as you spend time with Him (John 10:27)—like being able to pick out a friends’ voice in a room even when you can’t see them.
3. The Holy Spirit wants to fill you: The Bible tells us to be “filled” with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). In the original Greek language, this is an ongoing and active practice. This may require some mindset shifts, like learning to be thankful to God (Psalm 100:4), repenting and apologising for the wrong things we’ve done (Psalm 66:18), or silencing the negative thoughts the devil places in our minds (James 4:7). Overcoming these mental and emotional barriers can open us up to be more receptive and willing to what He’s asked. If you struggle with this, pray to God—He will help you.
4. The Holy Spirit wants you to respond: The Bible encourages us to have open hearts when we hear His voice (Hebrews 3:15), and to be “doers of the word”, not just hearers (James 1:22). This requires action—we must learn to respond to the Holy Spirit. Usually, the Holy Spirit will show up as “promptings”—like suddenly recalling a Bible verse, a story or something your pastor once said. Sometimes it’s a strong feeling or urge to talk to someone, or mention a particular topic. God wants you to follow those prompts so He can show up in miraculous ways in your life, and in the lives of others.

If you still feel unsure about hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, trust that He will train you in this. CS Lewis, quoting his favourite author George MacDonald, has a great saying about the nature of God: that He is easy to please but hard to satisfy. This means that the Holy Spirit is totally okay with how you come to Him–sensitive to His voice or not. But you can trust that He is satisfied with nothing less than your perfect ability to hear Him and follow Him.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, He’s been leading you your whole life, and He’s a big part of the reason you accepted Jesus in the first place. You can do this!

Sharing Jesus from the position of being led by the Holy Spirit takes the pressure off. It’s as simple as being aware that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you during your conversations and interactions with others. Listen and follow His voice the best you can. You can be confident knowing that salvation is His work – your work is to be sensitive to His voice and follow His lead.