Easter is the most important holiday for Christians. It is a time when we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord. And it is one of the most well-attended Sundays at churches around the nation.
Because of the nature of what Easter is and the openness to so many to think about the cross at that time of the year, the Easter season presents a natural opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
But this Good News is not just to be shared around one holiday a year. Matthew 28:19-20 commands, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
This verse doesn’t say, “Go and make disciples only at Easter when it’s easy to talk about Jesus.” Rather, it is a continual command to share our faith year-round.
Easter may have passed, but that doesn’t mean we should still proclaim and celebrate the sacrifice our Savior made for each and every human on earth.
I am a full-time evangelist, but in reality, so are you. By definition, an evangelist is a “bearer of good tidings.” Therefore, we are all called and able to be evangelists.
Many people are fearful to evangelize because they don’t believe they have the theological or biblical knowledge to do so, but evangelism is not scary. It shouldn’t be something we fear—that is Satan’s trickery used to keep you from proclaiming the Good News.
Here are a few tips for sharing your faith all year-round:
1. Know your own story of faith. Stories are powerful. Jesus knew this, which is why he often spoke in parables. Your own story of putting your trust in Jesus is powerful. Think this through and put it on paper. Writing how you met Jesus will enable you to remember, refine and recount. This cultivates an awareness of where you would be if you had not come to faith, and where others will be if they don’t find His forgiveness.
2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work within you. It’s true that we are not perfect, nor are we fully equipped, but the good news is we don’t have to be. We have been given an amazing resource—the Holy Spirit. This is where the power and boldness comes from to make you effective. Without the Holy Spirit’s anointing you will be fearful and nonproductive.
3. Befriend the lost. One reason evangelism is often feared is because Christians think they must share their faith with complete strangers. While we should want to share our faith with everyone, it is also important to love on and befriend those who are lost. When you build a friendship with someone who doesn’t know Jesus, you lay a foundation of trust which can lead to an opportunity to authentically share your faith at an opportune time. You are also provided the opportunity to live out your faith before you verbally profess it.
4. Ask God for opportunities. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” If you are sincere in this request, the Lord will not deny you. He will open doors for you to share His love.
There is no greater joy than knowing God used you to lead someone to Jesus. It is not only the command of Christ but also the most rewarding of life’s accomplishments.
You can leave an eternal legacy when you share your story. What we do in this life echoes throughout all eternity because what is not eternal is eternally useless.
Your story is His story. I encourage you to share it often.
Jay Lowder is a full-time evangelist and founder of Jay Lowder Harvest Ministries, an international organization based in Wichita Falls, Texas. He is also the author of Midnight in Aisle 7.
For the original article, visit jaylowder.com.
