An Introvert’s Struggle with Sharing the Gospel

From a very early age, I knew that I was introverted. I love having deep relationships with people, but frankly, sometimes they exhaust me. I am good with intimate conversations, and I love spending time with those I know well, but after any social engagement, I am exhausted. Small talk, making a joke with a stranger—these things elude me. The art of connecting effortlessly with people is not something that comes naturally to me. The older I’ve gotten, the more practice I’ve put into this. I do feel I’ve gotten much better and can even convince people that I am a gregarious and approachable person. However, at the end of interactions, I am worn out. I feel like I have run a mental marathon.

This tendency toward introversion has always seemed like a weakness when it comes to sharing the gospel. Almost all the training I received around evangelism involves approaching people you don’t know—an introvert’s literal nightmare! This part of the Christian faith always felt rigged in extroverts’ favor. Talking with strangers about the most important and intimate aspects of my life feels overwhelming, especially when I struggle to talk about the weather. I feel unable to approach strangers with openings that don’t sound like, “I know we don’t know each other, but do you want to hear about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?” I break out in sweats thinking about the invisible hurdles it feels like I have to jump over to approach people.

However, I have recently been looking at the world around me a little differently. Is there a way to engage with people that naturally uses my personality and my strengths? What if there were a way to lower the barrier that seems to stand in my way? Instead of always having to go up and “energetically” approach the stranger, what if I created an environment where strangers felt comfortable approaching me?

People today always have our security blankets around us. If you look around a doctor’s office, a mechanic’s shop, or even a coffee shop line, everyone seems to have their faces in a screen. No one is looking around; no one is making eye contact with the people in the room. Everyone is locked into the 6-inch screen in front of their face. We are living life in a world disconnected from our communities. We are individual islands drifting past each other, too scared or preoccupied to interact, continually feeding into our society’s loneliness epidemic. I am no exception. Often, I find myself, more than I would want, using my phone as an excuse to avoid “awkward” and “unnecessary” interactions.

Must I always look busy, even when standing in line at the grocery store? Why am I avoiding conversation with the older gentleman I just assumed I have nothing in common with? There are countless people eager to make any connection, dying to hear about the love of God. How can I honestly say I am sharing the love of God if I am not on the lookout for those seeking to engage? How many times have I missed a potential connection because I have been too preoccupied with checking off something on my to-do list, running quickly to the next errand, or engaging with my phone?

In order to share the gospel, I want my very presence to be welcoming and open. Instead of having “my guard up” when I am out and about, what if I practiced being open and curious about those around me? There are times when I might not always have the courage or energy to make the first move with people, but I can be open and ready for those looking to make a small connection with me. What if being the aroma of Christ in today’s time is simply being willing to have a kind and loving engagement with a stranger? To show the love of Christ to the world, I first have to be ready and available to interact with that world. The Spirit is constantly moving among us and presenting us with opportunities to share the good news. But first, I must be alert and aware enough to take them!

I have recently begun making space to welcome interaction in my day-to-day life. When standing in line, I put away my phone and try to smile at the people in line with me. If someone makes an awkward attempt at small talk, instead of politely laughing to end the exchange, I try to engage further. As I am getting my oil changed, I bring a book instead of my phone. The book I am reading has started many more conversations than my phone ever has! I am terrible at making the first move in a conversation, but I am never nervous to have a good conversation when someone approaches me. I love nothing more than to listen and engage with people; I just struggle with the opening line! The more I look, the more I find there are easy ways to make small connections with those around me.

I think about the ways that Jesus went out of His way to make Himself available and approachable for people. He constantly placed Himself among crowds where people could come to Him. When the sick needed healing, He made Himself available. When the outcast wanted to hear from Him, He made space for them to approach Him. It would have been easy to become focused on His task of preaching and teaching, which would have seemed more important to leaders at the time. However, Christ never let other things distract Him from the people nearest to Him. He was able to look at the people right in front of Him and make the connection they were desperately looking for.

Our salvation from the Lord transforms us, and the Spirit molds us into the image of the Son. This transformation, though, does not completely alter our personalities. God created us uniquely as individuals so our personalities can be used to help glorify the kingdom. I am not expected to “magically” transform into an extrovert with endless energy to approach and engage with strangers. Instead, I am called to take my gifts of listening, deep loyalty, and love for discussion and use those to engage with those who have not heard the gospel. (For a deeper discussion on the discipline of listening, check out this article.) I can prayerfully ask God to present me with opportunities to share the gospel in ways that lean toward my giftedness. My gifts may not include small talk with strangers, but strangers quickly become friends when time and effort are exerted. And deep conversations with friends…that is where this introvert thrives!

With these things in mind, I do still believe in the value of approaching strangers to share the gospel. This method is clearly endorsed in the Scriptures, and it is vital to be able to reach those whom we do not know. My introverted nature is not an excuse not to share the gospel; instead, I might have to rely on the Spirit to give me discernment and boldness. I may have to be the brave one to see the stranger who desperately needs God’s love but is too afraid to ask for it. However, I do believe that God created us uniquely in order to use our skills first to glorify Him and to reach different kinds of people. Even an introverted individual can find ways to engage with strangers that fulfill the Great Commandment and honor the characteristics that God blessed us with.