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What if I said that I do not have the gift of evangelism? Would this excuse me from evangelizing? Or what if I simply did not feel led by the Spirit to share with a particular person – the man in the office next to mine, or the young woman behind the register at the store? Would that be a sufficient reason not to be a witness?

Unfortunately, many Christians, myself included, use both of those reason to get out of sharing Christ with others.

But let’s apply this reasoning to other commands found in the Bible. What if I simply do not have “the gift of mercy”? Am I then exempt from the command to be merciful? Or perhaps, I am not feeling led by the Spirit to show love to those who I work with. Those justifications seem silly when applied to other commands. And yet, we have somehow come to the conclusion that evangelism is not for everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ. Maybe we have forgotten that the command to evangelize is just that: a command.

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says, “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” This is not a mere suggestion from Jesus, but rather a clear command and defining characteristic of the Christian lifestyle.

Imagine with me how different things would be if all Christians were obediently and creatively sharing Christ with others. If evangelism is an area you struggle with, I encourage you to pray that God would give you boldness as well as opportunities. I challenge you to make sharing Christ a regular part of your life.

 Source: Carly Sanchez's article in Making Friends newsletter, Quest Ministries.

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