Missie Branch spoke during the National Women’s Evangelism Conference in April 2024. This article summarizes one of her messages.
You have been called to walk in the confidence of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (CSB) says, “For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.”
So, how do we do this—living for the Lord and caring for the lost around us? How do we cultivate our hearts to care for the lost while living for Christ?
Here are 7 ways to do just that.
- Talk to the Lord about where you are in this season.
Are you anxious when you think about evangelism? When you think about those who are lost, are you afraid? Indifferent? Excited? Unmotivated? Is there a passion you used to have that has died?
Pray to the Lord about where your heart is.
- Become a student of His heart for the lost.
God has a heart for the lost. Look for it in Scripture in places like Ezekiel 33:11, 2 Peter 3:9, and Luke 15. Study up. Repent for the ways that your heart doesn’t look like His. Then, look within to consider His heart compared to your own.
Who are the people you look down on? Who do you feel okay avoiding? Who have you not even considered when it comes to sharing the gospel?
- Regularly spend time with and pray for the lost.
It’s very easy to live in a Christian bubble doing all the Christian things, hanging out with only the Christian people, and only living in a Christian world. However, we need to—and are called to—spend time with people who do not yet know the love of Christ.
Ask the Lord to draw them closer to Him and to help them overcome their fear and doubt, that they would receive the gospel’s good news of salvation.
- Identify the “Beautiful Gates” in your life.
Think back to the Acts 3 passage about the beggar at the Beautiful Gate. A gate called beautiful seemed to be in stark contrast to a life of daily begging. However, if we only focus on what’s beautiful inside the gate, we miss what’s beautiful outside the gate. The lame beggar was an image bearer. When some people looked at him, they saw only his disability. Yet when God looked at him, He saw a purpose.
In your life, there are beautiful gates—those people and places where beauty and brokenness collide. These are the circumstances God uses for His own purpose to point lost people to Himself and to cultivate our hearts for the lost.
- Build relationships so you can share your faith naturally.
Building genuine relationships as bridges for the gospel has benefits not only for those who are new to the faith. Remember, bridges work both ways. While we share the goodness of Jesus and lead others to know Him, we are spending time learning, hearing, expanding, and becoming better Christ followers.
We need all the people God has created for His kingdom.
- Lean into the relationships you already have.
You don’t necessarily have to create brand-new relationships from scratch. Be open to the Lord as He draws your acquaintances closer to you and toward Himself. Be clear about your faith in Jesus early on so that they can see His love within you. Before you can be an effective Great Commission Christian, you need to be a committed Great Commandment Christian.
Love the Lord Jesus with all your heart, mind, and soul, but be careful to not go too long without sharing the gospel.
- Cultivate your gifts and talents for God’s kingdom purposes.
It was such a brilliant plan of the Lord Jesus to create each of us with different skills, gifts, passions, and talents and that not all of them are the same. After all, if we only ran around concerned about one thing, then only that one thing in this world will be handled. It’s okay that some of us are involved in women’s ministry while others write and are passionate about adoption or do flower arranging. Some of us care for the elderly while others care for refugees or widows. Others are involved in education, photography, politics, Bible translation, prayer, hospitality, singing, deaf culture, and so on.
Yes, the gospel gives us a new identity in Jesus Christ. However, not only is our identity changed, but the gifts and talents we have are now impacted by the gospel. Therefore, God can use our gifts and talents for His kingdom’s purposes. Allow Him to use these desires of your heart in order to reach the lost with the hope of His gospel.
Learn ways you can share the gospel with confidence by exploring resources at nambevangelism.com/women
Published July 18, 2024