Evangelism: A Mission to the Moon or Your Daily Commute?

You’re driving, and you get a call from the President of the United States. He says he needs you to get to the moon ASAP. How would you react? Would you wonder if it was a scam? Would you be overwhelmed by the impossibility of the task? “I’m sorry Mr. President, I think you called the wrong person.”

Too many Christians think that God’s call for evangelism is too complicated, too hard, and only for those with a particular set of skills. For many years, I thought of evangelism a lot like a mission to the moon. I felt like I didn’t have enough training, that it was too complex, and I didn’t know where to begin.

Imagine a different situation. You’re driving down the road and get a call from the president. He asks you to merge into the right lane. What would your reaction be? In this situation, I think that most of us would say: “Consider it done!”

What if God’s call for us to participate in His mission is more like the president’s second call? Sharing the good news of Jesus is entirely possible. As we are having our daily conversations, as we are cruising the conversational highways, what does it look like to take initiative to merge those conversations into the spiritual lane? This simple shift has greatly impacted how I think about evangelism! So, here are three tips that have helped me grow in sharing the good news and get more evangelism into my life:

1. Be in God’s Word Every Day

Spending time in the Word allows us to gaze upon the very glory of God each and every day (2 Cor. 3:18). If you are not in God’s Word regularly, how can you reflect his heart for the lost? When I was 15, I decided to try to read a little bit of God’s Word every single morning. By God’s grace, I’ve only missed a few… (that’s over 8,000 mornings!) Now, most of those mornings have not been spiritual fireworks. A lot of the time, I’m just trying to stay awake until the coffee hits my bloodstream, but I believe that sitting before the God of the universe day in and day out has profoundly affected how I think about those who don’t yet know our Savior. What does it look like for you to be in God’s Word every single day?

2. Grow in your Conversation Skills

For some, striking up a conversation with a stranger may be as scary as piloting a rocket to the moon. But, if you remain uncomfortable talking to people, how can you tell them about Christ?  Face-to-face conversation is an art. It’s a dance. It’s a skill that takes time to develop. Two very practical tips about conversation: 1. You should spend more time listening to what the other person is saying than you spend thinking about what you are about to say to them. (Conversation is 80% listening and 20% talking. Most people get this backward.) 2. The person who asks the most questions is the better conversationalist. I’m astounded at people’s inability and disinterest in asking questions in conversation. GK Chesterton said: “There is no such thing as an uninteresting subject, only uninterested people.” He’s right. Do you know how to listen and ask good questions? Over the past few years, I’ve tried to improve my conversation skills, and I really think that this has helped me in my evangelism.  What does it look like for you to grow in your conversation skills?

3. Focus On and Pray for the Lost People Around You

I believe God has put people around us who do not yet know Him. Do we have the eyes to see them? Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7). What is closer to God’s heart than reaching the lost with His gospel? As we go about our normal lives, are we asking God to open our eyes to see those who don’t know Him and give us the boldness to speak with them? For the past few years, I’ve used a portion of my commute as a prompt to pray for my lost neighbors, asking God to give me opportunities to speak with them. It’s been amazing to watch Him answer that prayer. What does it look like for you to focus on and pray for the people who are around you?

Bill Bright says that evangelism is simply “taking the initiative in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”  As you’re having your daily conversations, what does it look like to take the initiative and merge them into the spiritual lane? God does the saving, not you! This is such a powerful way to think of evangelism!

Do you want to grow in evangelism? Stop thinking about evangelism like a mission to the moon and think of it more like changing conversational lanes. Be faithful in His Word every day. Grow in your conversation skills. Focus on and pray for the lost people around you. As you cruise the conversational highways, take the initiative in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leave the results to God!