Saturday 28 August 2021

Psalm 56

Background

Over my year as Youth President, I have been receiving mentoring and guidance on how to be an evangelist. At the beginning of the year, I found the idea of evangelism quite scary – I associated it with the people who stand on street corners shouting threats to people, which is definitely not for me. My mentor, Holly, and I discussed the barriers I felt towards doing evangelism, how I could be more intentional in my evangelism and the variety of ways evangelism can be done.

Put simply, evangelism is simply telling others the story of Jesus’ life, death and Resurrection, and telling others about your own faith journey. Holly made me realise that I had already had moments of evangelism without realising it. For example, someone at school asked me what I thought about creation. I answered honestly, trying not to preach too much but being open to questions they had. I was so nervous talking about my faith, it was one of the first times I had done it. But I was so surprised by how well those listening took it – I don’t know if anyone changed their mind or came to faith from that, but it is those seemingly insignificant conversations that can have a huge impact on people.

I love the way that Paul writes in this passage, and it pretty much summarises what Holly has taught me over the year. Firstly, I have learned that evangelism should be rooted in prayer and Scripture. When we allow God to give us wisdom, and ask God to use us to share the good news, we can have confidence that God is with us on the journey. While I wouldn’t ever claim to have all the answers, prayer and studying Scripture have equipped me to answer questions when asked.

Secondly, I have learned that it's important to use every opportunity and be conscious of those you are talking to. Holly helped me to see that each time we are chatting with people is an opportunity to live out the good news of Jesus’ grace and love. Sometimes the most meaningful and impactful conversations can be natural and simple. It is important to remember that each person comes with their own story and experience: Paul reminds us that having an open mind and open heart is so important for connecting with people. Finally, Paul tells us to speak with grace. Kindness, compassion and a sense of humour can really help people to see that a life following Christ brings light, peace and joy. Authenticity and just being oneself is what draws people in, rather than simply preaching soullessly to people.

Over the year, I have learnt so much about evangelism, but the biggest thing is to simply be myself and be confident to be true to my faith.

To Ponder:

• When have you noticed yourself being an evangelist? How did it make you feel?
• Have you encountered an evangelist? What were the most pivotal moments in your  faith journey?
• How will you prayerfully speak of Jesus and Christianity to those who you meet?

Prayer

I pray that as I move onto the next chapter of my life, I can use this new knowledge to help share the good news as Jesus calls us to, and I pray that you too will find the confidence to share the love of God with others you meet.