In the Great Commission, Jesus calls us to share the gospel (Matt. 28:28). But how can you do this if you struggle with social anxiety?
I think we all have, at one point or another as Christians, felt guilty about not evangelizing as much as we feel like we should. We’re afraid to do it and maybe even ashamed. But the apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). So, we need to grow in our understanding of the power of the gospel—both in our own lives and in the lives of those around us who need to hear it. That’s part of overcoming the fear.
We also need to have a greater fear of disobeying the Lord than losing friends. We need to fear God more than people looking at us like we’re silly or religious nuts. No, the gospel is what we should be passionate about as Christians.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The apostle spoke Peter before thousands of people (Acts 2), and many came to faith, but he still needed to pray for continued boldness to proclaim the gospel: “And now, Lord . . . grant to your servants to continue to speak your word, with all boldness” (Acts 4:27).
So, we need a high view of the gospel, and we also need to pray. We need to say, “Lord, it’s only by your Spirit that I can have the boldness that I need. So give me that boldness. Give me those opportunities to be able to share about you and boldly speak the truth about what you’ve done.”
We should also pray opportunities: “God, you open up the doors.” Part of the problem is we’re always trying to force something. We think, “Oh, I need to steer the conversation here.” It’s sort of like changing the gears in your car. We’re just trying to ram it through. So pray that the Lord would give you wisdom and opportunities to share your faith, to talk about Jesus. That’s key. Ask the Lord to guide you and give you the wisdom to know when opportunities are presenting themselves to share what the Lord has done in your life.
This article is part of our Frequently Asked Questions series. Listen to Pastor Adriel answer this question on Core Radio here.
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