Ways To Conquer Fear In Witnessing - Don't Feel the Fear...Just Do It.

Don't Feel the Fear...Just Do It!!

Let’s face it…witnessing is not what our flesh wants to do…period. If we are given enough time, we can think of 400 reasons why we shouldn’t go. If you think about what you are doing…the more likely your mind will wander and think about the “what if’s”. The “what if’s” will always get you in trouble (and more than likely negative). But we never ask ourselves, “What if this person gets saved by me sharing the gospel with them?”

Every time I go out to share my faith I go out dragging my feet, and come back clicking my heals...every time. Even when I have had the hardest conversations, I knew I was obedient to what God wanted me to do. I have to say that to date, I never regretted sharing my faith….just regretted not sharing my faith.

Do you know which tract is the hardest to give out? It’s the very first one. When Tony and I go out passing out tracts or witnessing, the first person we see as we get out of the car gets a tract, even if we are not at our ultimate destination yet. We don’t stop and think about it.

A couple weeks ago before my shift at work I went open-air preaching with my friends at Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market. As soon as Paul was done preaching, I was on the box next. Why is that? Hesitation to fear is like wood to a fire. Hesitation feeds fear and only makes it stronger.

What are you waiting for? Give that tract out, talk to that family member about the Gospel. Here’s some homework for you to do. First, verbally say hello to 3 strangers. Next, try to engage the next person in a conversation about anything (weather, news, sports). I find it the best to talk about my surroundings and what is going on right in front of me (dogs at the petstore, jewelry a person is wearing, an interesting tattoo they have). If you feel comfortable, move it to the spiritual. But the key is to have that conversation. If needful…use a gospel tract as a door opener. But always end the day by doing it.

Just do it, is a trademark of Nike. Nike is the Greek word for “victory”. Have a victorious day and go share your faith while you still have time.

Ways To Conquer Fear In Witnessing - Change your perspective on risk

Change Your Perspective On Risk

Instead of saying, “If I witness to this person, what do I have to lose?” (Your life, your job, your friends) Say, “If I witness to this person, what do I have to gain?” (A brother/sister in Christ, being obedient to God). Why does witnessing always be associated with a negative feeling? Why do we as Christians focus on the negative? How do you feel about the following verses?

1 Peter 4:12-14 – Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

Matthew 5:11-12 – Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Luke 6:22-23 – Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

Wow, wouldn’t you love to have the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. Wouldn’t you love to have great rewards in heaven, or even glorify God in being reproached for His name sake? It would be to God as worship. I would take that any day of the week. For even if we suffer…it would be a win / win situation.

Ways To Conquer Fear In Witnessing - Change your perspective on fear

Change Your Perspective On Fear

Instead of thinking what would happen to you if you share your faith (get beat up, made fun of, yelled at), think about what would happen if the other person you want to talk to doesn’t receive Christ (enslavement to their sin, eternity in hell, separated from God forever). Think about it…no matter where a person is who died, they will be there longer than 999,999,999,999 centuries (100 years). Let’s face it…it’s a long time to be wrong.

And what do we know about hell? Here are some descriptions of hell from the bible.

• A lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
• A place of everlasting burnings (Isaiah 33:14)
• A bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1).
• Where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched (Mark 9:43-48).
• A place of torment (Luke 16:22-24).
• A place of everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46).
• Weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 24:51).
• A place of weeping and outer darkness (Matthew 8:12).
• Everlasting fire (Matthew 25:41).
• A place where people wail (Matthew 13:42).
• A place where people have no rest (Revelation 14:11).
• A place where people gnaw their tongues (Revelation 16:10).

Just meditating on what hell is like, should move us to reach out to the lost and share our faith. And who goes to hell? The bible says:

• Those who are not found written in the book of life (Revelation 20:15)
• The wicked (Psalm 9:17).
• He who does not believe in Jesus (John 3:18.

Lord, help us to change our perspective on fear. Help us to swallow our fears and seek to save that which are lost no matter what happens to us…it is not even close to what will happen to those who do not know Christ.