It has occurred to me that the whole concept of “sharing your faith” or “sharing our faith” is one-sided. It comes from the place of me, not you.
In my experience in the corporate church of evangelicalism, the drumbeat has been to “share your faith, share your faith, share your faith!” This, even when folks aren’t asking and aren’t interested!
The perspective is, we are to sit down, “come alongside of” and “share.” Which means talking about myself, my faith, my Jesus, and what he has done for me.
This is talking at, not sharing.
I hate to say it but this approach to “making converts” is no different than an obnoxious door-to-door salesman who verbosely goes on and on as if we, the customer, are just a warm body for him to promote himself and his wares.
I don’t claim to know the motivation behind every person “sharing” their faith, but having viewed it from my own initial and immature self-perspective of what it means to “share my faith," observed others in action, and been on the receiving end of one too many monologues of so-called “gospel sharing," I know for a fact that self-promotion and spiritual pride can easily enter in. Without even noticing, we can make it only about us and not at all about Jesus or the person we are supposedly “sharing” with.
Spending time with Christ in the New Testament, as opposed to listening to our Christian pro-proselytizing cohorts, will teach something entirely different: Jesus makes it about himself only in the sense that he himself is Jesus, but conducts himself in an other-focused, other-centered question format. He asks about their faith. He plays back what he hears them saying and, because he is Jesus, even what they are thinking!
He asks them questions about themselves and their lives, and about their comprehension of important matters. He responds to their statements, their hearts, their minds. It is not a one-sided conversation.
In this model of Christ, we find that “sharing” is not about us having a “heart for Jesus” or a “call to the lost.” It is not about us at all, which is a tough pill to swallow when we so wanted to make it about us and our faith and our Jesus! But it is about their hearts, and finding out what it is exactly that constitutes lostness for them.
With Christ, people felt seen and heard. Perhaps that is why he was listened to by all, including his enemies, and actually heard by those who chose to follow him. Those who turned away, I surmise, did not like the conviction they felt when Christ saw and heard them. But those who were willing to bear with that conviction were able, then, to also feel the overflowing love of his forgiveness and acceptance—the love that came upon them even though Christ knew everything about them, good and bad.
The next time a pastor, Bible study leader or anyone pushes and pressures to “share your faith,” submit to the model of Jesus instead, and make it about the person we are in a conversation with. They don’t need to hear about or be convinced of our faith, they need to be led in exploring what faith might, or could, or can mean and be, for them.
Copyright Barb Harwood
