I just watched a video where a pastor or minister said that he thought the reason why people don't talk to prechristians about their faith was because they didn't believe in objective truth. This may be true for some people, but... I want to dive into my philosophy on verbal evangelism and try to convince you that if you aren't constantly bugging the prechristians in your life about becoming a Christian, you might be OK.
Fascinatingly enough, most Christians are bombarded with the idea of sharing their faith. Pastors talk about it all the time. And if done well, it can produce positive change in your friends and the people in your life, drawing them closer to God. Should it be the focus though? See, I'm a big believer in the long game. People get right with God over time. Hardly anyone goes from being a staunch atheist to a Christian overnight. It just doesn't happen. And frankly, prechristians can sense how you feel about them and what your attitude is towards them. Are they a project to you? Do you care about them even if they never follow Jesus? Does the relationship hold value even if the person never chooses to live for God? Why are you their friend?
I think, the focus is on being a good friend. The focus is on loving them where they are, with that love being the kind of love that they would interpret as love. Sure, if you believe someone is destined for hell, of course you might want to say something at some point. That's a legitimate sensation you are feeling. I just... I can't believe that God wanted to fill the world with Amway salesmen, which to me is what evangelism can become if we aren't careful. I think... a just god will know how to justly deal with an unbelieving world, and will not want us to treat Jesus like a product that we must sell like our own lives depend on it. If your faith is legit, opportunities to talk about your faith will come from time to time without pushing for it. It will happen naturally. And when those opportunities arise, then it is natural to talk about God and Jesus without it being contrived. And you know what? If people know how much you love them by how you've treated them in the past, they'll take your words seriously because they know that you really care about them and aren't just looking for an evangelistic notch in your belt.
If there's one thing to take away from this, it's that love, patience, and perseverance win the day through acts of kindness, good listening skills, and empathy that prechristians may not have any sense that they need saving or that there is any hell to eventually worry about. If we love people where they are at, and not think too heavily about where the relationship is going or whether we can fix them, I think the people in our lives will see the gospel in action, and they'll want what we have. That is where the kingdom money is at. Hopefully this will bring peace to you to not focus on the end result of your love towards the prechristians in your life, and instead focus on being a good friend regardless of the result, which is how we as the church will best reach the people in our lives who are looking for something more real than anything they've found so far in their journey. Love is the key. If we love people, they will know they are valued by God, and that will draw them closer to God, which is what we should want. And trust God with the results. God is working, if only we be conduits of his love so that people will have a good reason to want to know God personally. And when we're conduits of God's love, The Great Commission is fulfilled naturally, without anyone being an "Amway salesman of Jesus."
