Hints on Witnessing or Sharing Your Faith

One of the secrets of communicating the Christian faith is to find or make situations in which it is natural to pursue the subject. Such witness is more powerful because it is real. That is how Jesus approached people. When talking to a woman beside a well, he spoke of the "water of life." With farmers he talked about sowing good seed or saving lost sheep. To a religious leader who was proud of his racial heritage, Jesus talked about being "born again."

So stay alert for the right time and place to speak your own word of personal experience and conviction. A person may argue with your logic or philosophy, but no one can deny the testimony which says, "This is what God has done for me." Never be embarrassed about expressing something that is meaningful to you, but choose the right time and place.

There are times when it may be more effective to communicate your faith through actions rather than through words. In other situations a verbal witness must be given. You have to be sensitive to the other person's level of readiness in order to know which approach to take. The important thing is that the two must be in harmony. Your own life must be a testimony of what your words proclaim. Why should people accept our beliefs if they cannot see any difference between their lives and ours?

Some people like to use some outward symbol, such as a cross on a chain or a religious decal on a book cover, as a means of getting a person's attention and opening up the subject. One easy way to share your faith is by inviting the person to go with you to worship or a church activity. The response to your invitation gives you a clue as to how ready the person is to receive what you want to share. This points up the need to develop a relationship before trying to talk with a person about his/her faith. But it must be an honest interest in the person as an individual, and not just as the object of your witnessing efforts.

Your witness may sometimes be to strangers or people you don't know well. You can offer a word of encouragement or point someone to God even in a short encounter, such as sitting next to someone on an airplane or talking together in a store checkout line. But don't buttonhole people or intrude into their lives without some indication that they would be interested in what you have to share. Focus on the needs of the person and what you can do to help, rather than on your "duty" to witness or the desire to get spiritual "brownie points."

Above all, keep your mind and heart tuned to Christian ideas and concerns. People generally talk about the things which are fresh on their minds. It is easier to speak with a friend about God if you have just spent some time talking with God. The point is, a witness is someone who gives testimony about what s/he has seen, heard, or experienced. We cannot witness effectively to the joy and peace which comes from knowing Christ unless we are experiencing those truths in our own lives. The motivation to witness comes from the excitement of knowing that we have good news to share with others.