HOW TO…

"GET OUT OF THE STARTING BLOCK" IN WITNESSING

by R.Larry Moyer

Many sincere believers admit to doing next to nothing when it comes to evangelizing. They want to turn things around in that area, but they are not sure how to do it. How do you "get out of the starting block" in witnessing?

Realize that there are no magical or miraculous answers. People who share Christ consistently were not kissed by an angel as they slept! In fact, just waiting for a "thunderclap experience" to get you out of the starting block is what Satan prefers you do. He loves to see you wait ¾ and wait ¾ and wait!

You need to remember that God is a God of grace. He is not upstairs saying, "Why did I ever save that dodo? He doesn't even tell his friends about me." Whatever my problem is, if I come to Him with a broken spirit, Hebrews 4:16 assures me that I can receive mercy and find grace to help in my time of need. Being a gracious God, He specializes in helping me, not criticizing me.

Now take a square look at what is holding you back. Is your schedule so crowded that there is no time to spend with those who don't know the Lord? He'll give you wisdom to rearrange priorities if you will just ask Him. Are you afraid of being rejected? If you will simply obey, He'll give you boldness as you talk and help you view their souls as being more important than your possibly being rejected. Are you unsure how to present the gospel? Learn a simple and clear method to explain it. Are you intimidated by questions or comments unsaved people might have? Remember ¾ God is not asking you to be a walking encyclopedia. Besides, it's no sin to say, "I don't know" and return with the answer later. Are you just plain lazy? Take a lesson from the ant and get busy (Proverbs 6:6-11).

Recognize also that the body of Christ is for helping and encouraging one another (Heb.10:24). Who do you know that is faithful in speaking to others about the Lord? Ask him or her to teach you, go with you, or take you along. Seeing how it is done can both encourage and excite you, not only when you are together talking to the lost, but even later when you have opportunities to speak to the unsaved by yourself.

Don't succumb to Satan's lies either. Two of his most popular are: "You don't love the lost the way you should, so to speak to them now would be hypocritical," and "Your life is a far cry from what it should be." God does not need five months to develop a spirit of love in you. He can produce that in five minutes as you walk in obedience to Him. When it comes to your life, the unsaved are not turned off by people who fail; they are turned off by people who deceive. It's one thing to fail; it's another to come across as one who never does. Honesty with the unsaved about where you are and where you desire to be is what counts.

Last, but not least, recognize an excuse for what it is ¾ the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie. A person can truthfully say, "I'm not the only one not doing anything;" but you will not answer for another's faithfulness, only for yours. Or we can say, "With my family responsibilities, I don't have time to spend with unsaved." God says that the family matters, but nowhere does He say that it's the only thing that matters!

In short, to get out of the starting block in witnessing, you must realize that the starting block is never going to move. You are the one who has to move! If you do your part, God will do His. ¢

R.Larry Moyer is the executive director of Evantell, an evangelistic organization committed to preaching the Gospel – free and clear. This article was excerpted from their newsletter, "The Toolbox."

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