Sharing Faith Simply: why should we share our faith?
Giles Holloway
In the previous edition of Arise! magazine, I wrote about who we share our faith with, but this month I want us to think about why we should share our faith: what is our motivation?
Over the twenty years that I worked as a science teacher, I would always have to try quite hard to identify other Christians in my workplace. When I put out an email or announcement in the staffroom that I was starting a workplace time of prayer, a few believers would emerge but otherwise I don’t think I would have known who the Christians were. Why is that?
I think that from a very early age we learn that our culture doesn’t really endorse being excited about faith, and it’s ingrained in the British psyche not to shout too loudly about religion or politics. The causes of that run deep in our country’s history, but it seems to me that the reason we don’t wear our faith on our sleeve is that we don’t want to stand out from the crowd. We see this all the time in our culture, where we gloss over obvious issues like racism or sexism until a few brave individuals share their story, and suddenly all those who had similar views but remained in the shadows feel empowered to speak their mind.
“When we are willing to make our faith known and truly represent Christ, we also empower others to speak for Him.”
What if the same could happen with sharing our faith? When we are willing to make our faith known and truly represent Christ, we also empower others to speak for Him. I’m sure we can all think of a time when someone has been holding court with a group spouting off their deeply held view as if no one could ever think otherwise and then a brave soul pipes up and says, “Er, actually, I disagree. I think…” and suddenly we find the majority actually have another view.
So, why share our faith with others? Let’s start with perhaps the most famous verse of them all – John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This verse demonstrates that at the heart of our faith is a God who is motivated by His love for humanity. Secondly, it shows that He is a sending God: He sent the best He had – His Son - and not only that: His Son sends us since He is back with the Father now. Thirdly, He desires that all are to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4): He is a saving God and He is not content with the status quo, He sends all of us out so that every person of every nation has the opportunity to respond (Matthew 28:19).
Now, rescuing an entire planet is no mean feat – He has been onto this well before Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough. How on earth can we achieve that? Well, Paul puts it nicely in Romans 10:14-16: “Everyone who calls on Jesus will be saved” if they have heard of Him! And that will only happen if someone has been sent to share the Good News.
So, why should we share our faith with others? The first answer is because our God is a loving God, who wants to save His people, and He has chosen to send us in order to rescue them. This is the truth and it appeals to our mind – it is the theological and reasoned response. But we are also emotional beings and we like to respond to our heart’s desire. Our heavenly Father knows this and that is why He sent His Holy Spirit. He said to His disciples “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”” (John 20:21-22)
The Holy Spirit helps to soften our hearts and give us a passionate love for the people around us. It is the Holy Spirit who ignites and reignites our first love, giving us the desire to share with others the love of God that we first received for ourselves.
I’m sure you’ve all been around a baby Christian who can’t stop telling others about their newfound faith – it’s infectious. Perhaps we’ve all been there, but many believers get to a stage where our natural passion fades, life takes its toll and we are tempted to stay quiet; at this stage it could feel like a duty rather than a pleasure. If this is the case for you, then hear the words of Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Father God wants to revive and renew and refresh from the inside out until His spirit flows out of us. Hence if you have not shared your faith simply recently, then don’t feel condemned about it. Just fall in love with Jesus all over again; invite the Holy Spirit to work in you afresh and reassert your commitment to spending quality time with Him through His word, rest, Christian community, prayer and praise. He will rekindle the flame within you. Bless you.
Giles Holloway is the minister at King’s Centre, Nether Edge, and a member of the Arise team. He has three children with his wife Naomi; he is a former head of science and is passionate about golf, cycling and live music.