That Awkward Moment When You… Evangelize?!

Evangelism is by far my favorite service; it doesn’t matter which form/way/type it’s done in, but I’ll admit I find street evangelism the most enjoyable. Every time I hit the streets along with a group of people either from my area or from other churches, I notice one thing MANY of those who evangelize have in common and I figured out their secret. THE MOB HAS A HIT ON THEM!!

Well, the mob doesn’t really have a hit on them, but they sure do act like it. I truly believe that if you put someone who the mob has a hit on among them he would fit right in. Doing things like: always looking around and behind them to see who’s looking at them, can’t make eye contact, sweating, stuttering, fidgeting, can’t stand still, not talking or talking with a low voice, and that annoying nervous fake laugh/giggle; just to name a few.

The truth is, I know exactly how they feel. When I started evangelizing not only was I feeling and acting just as they are, but I use to feel even more awkward and I was  more, nervous, shy, and embarrassed than any of them. After while those feelings faded the more I pushed to continue evangelizing no matter how uncomfortable I felt, all thanks to God for providing me with the strength to do so. I could confidently say the feeling awkwardness/nervous/shy phase has past. But, to be completely honest even though I’ve been doing this for a few years I still constantly get attacked by those same thoughts of what everybody around me is thinking of me, who is staring, and who is making fun of me while I spread the good news of our Lord, God, and King Jesus Christ.

The Foundation of Nervousness, Shyness & Awkwardness in Evangelism:

Take a moment and think clearly, what is the foundation that nervousness, shyness, and awkwardness in evangelism is based on? As a matter of fact, not just evangelism but anything those three apply to… It’s fear! Fear of being judged by others, fear of what others think, fear of rejection, fear of being embarrassed, worry out of fear, and the list goes on and on. Fear results from a lack of faith and trust in God. When God created man, He did not intend for him to fear "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:7). It is a sin because it is against the commandment of God. St. Paul teaches us, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Heb 13:5-6). Satan uses fear as a weapon through deceit and lies, and in this case to prevent you from evangelizing and doing the work of our Mighty God which He commanded us to do.

Check out this Video Journal (Fear is Just a Lie) by Mike Donehey

Are You Ashamed of The Gospel of Jesus Christ?

In the dictionary the word “ashamed” is defined as, “Reluctant to do something through fear of embarrassment or humiliation / Embarrassed or feeling guilt because of something one has done or a characteristic one has.” In this part in no way am I condemning anyone in anyway. This is for you to ask yourself these questions and examine yourself in the presence of God. In the Holy Bible we read from St. Paul, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16) Our Lord, God, And Savior Jesus Christ said, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38)   Ask yourself; am I ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Am I Ashamed of Jesus Christ Himself who sacrificed His life for my salvation? Do your friends know you to be a Christian who’s all in for God, no compromise and do you tell them about Christ? Do you tell others what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you, and what He can likewise do for them? When was the last time you spoke to some who hasn’t accepted Christ as His Lord, God, and Savior? Are you ashamed to do any of these things anytime anywhere?

The Solution:

Someone recently asked me if I talk about anything other than God and told me I should talk about none spiritual things more often. It was at that moment that I realized I can’t shut up about Christ. I want to think about Him and talk about Him all day everyday to anyone and everyone. I love Him so much that I HAVE TO tell people about Him because I want them to feel what I feel. The solution is LOVE! In the Holy Bible we are taught, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18) Since those feelings that attack us are founded on fear, then we cast it out with Perfect love which is infinitely granted to us by our God Jesus Christ.

Conclusion:

We know through the teachings of the Holy Bible that we must evangelize because God commands us to. Jesus said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) He also commands his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). St. Peter says to all Christians, “Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet. 3:15).

Simply evangelizing because we have to is like works without faith. The source of overcoming the pressures of evangelism; to overcome the awkwardness, embarrassment, shyness is within the motivation of why you want to evangelize. Love for God should be our ultimate motivation in evangelism. What you should feel with all your heart is to see God glorified, and one way to Glorify God is when His Love and the Truth about Him is made known to everyone. Our desire should be to glorify God by proclaiming His Love, Compassion, Mercy, Grace and the Truth about him as often as we can. This motivation will sustain us under any tribulation. If we are to faithfully evangelize despite rejection, opposition, and even persecution from those around us, our deepest motivation must be to glorify God because He loves us and we love Him.

“Jesus promised the disciples three things - that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy & in constant trouble.” -G.K. Chesterton