“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Getting a mental image of sharing the gospel may look similar to many people. They envision themselves holding the Bible, talking seriously with a friend or two, and telling those friends about the plan of salvation.
While there are times and places that this scenario plays out the way we see it in our imaginations, witnessing entails much, much more than a single conversation. However, those opportunities arise when we fully engage ourselves in being proof of the wonderful Savior we serve.
Psalm 66:16-19 says, Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.”
Sharing the gospel of Jesus is done most effectively through a heart that has been transformed by our Lord and His great love for us. Seeing a soul that was bound by sin but is now delivered by the power of Jesus Christ lets the world know that our Lord is still alive! His power has never diminished! The psalm above lets us know that God heard the prayers of the writer because he truly desired a clean heart that did not harbor sin. His clean heart toward God is what gave him the opportunity to witness to others.
How does that look for us today? What are some ways that we share the message of Jesus without actual words?
Sharing the gospel of Jesus may look like forgiving someone who has done us wrong. Friends and family often take sides and stick up for their loved one who was hurt by another. Society often ponders the facts and considers bad harbored feelings justifiable for the one who is innocent in the situation. However, the message of Jesus fundamentally includes the act of forgiveness, first exemplified by the Lord Himself.
Sharing the gospel might look like helping others in need, even when it’s messy, inconvenient, or when we actually have great needs ourselves. The King of Glory touched the needy physically, spiritually, and emotionally. He could have chosen to stay distant from mankind, never experiencing human hardships, but because He loved, He came. His reach for humanity included tough situations, yet the Lord had the gospel to share, and the messiness of different situations did not stop Him from helping those in need.
Sharing the gospel may look like sharing words of life to the hurting. Fighting for survival through a global pandemic has increased the emotional needs of so many people. As people have lost their jobs, businesses, homes, and loved ones, they have also lost their hope. To remind them they are loved, believed in, and supported by us with whatever we can do helps them to know they are not alone. Our God is the God of hope, and our prayers and sincere compassion for others are important ways the gospel should be known.
If we truly want to share the gospel, many of our opportunities will be of us holding an open Bible with eager onlookers ready to surrender to Jesus. Instead, we will more commonly see our opportunities wrapped up in intentional ways we interact with those around us. There is no shortage of ways to share Jesus. Let’s all be prepared to share!
