By Linson Daniel

I had an awesome time last week on campus. Within the span of 60 minutes, I had the chance to talk about life, faith, and Jesus with an atheist, a Hindu, and an international student from Kenya. What a rush! None of them made a significant decision to follow Jesus, but I felt that the Kingdom had come nearer to them. That was pretty exciting.

You may believe that you could never be awesome at sharing your faith. Trust me, I was right there with you. In fact, I still doubt whether I really know what I am doing! However, I keep trying. Along the way, I’ve noticed 10 steps that have helped me become increasingly better at sharing my faith with others.

I believe you can be awesome at sharing your faith with these 10 simple steps:

Step #1. Realize the Amazing Opportunity! 

There are so many people around you that have no idea that God loves them. In fact, many people have never even heard about God’s Story to restore the world through Jesus. Think of everyone that works with you, lives in your neighborhood, or attends your university — these are countless people with the chance to have a relationship with Jesus. What an opportunity you have to start a conversation!

Step #2. Get Trained and Ready.

Next, you should practice the basics of sharing your faith. Being too zealous, without appropriate understanding, can lead to unhelpful dialogue. Consider learning how to use a proxe station, new world diagram, or personal story. At first, these simple tools feel cumbersome and scripted, but overtime, these tools are great for being concise and clear with your friends. Take time to get better at evangelistic conversations.

Step #3. Make Room in Your Life. 

You will need to make adjustments to your life and become more available to people around you. That might mean going out to eat with your coworkers during the day. Or it means that you choose to study with different people. Perhaps you join a club or intramural sports team. Each of these decisions will make you more accessible to people. Not to sound harsh, but if everyone that you know is already a Christian, then you are not an available person. Befriend someone new and different today.

Step #4. Pray for Great Conversations! 

As you get to know people, pray that God would open doors for you to share more deeply about life. Pray that important topics come up in conversation, like family, relationships, calling, life’s meaning, etc. — these are all chances to share your worldview with one another. Practice the art of significant conversations! Also, be sure to pray for your friends often. I suggest writing down your friends’ names in your journal and asking God to pursue them in His timing.

Step #5. Name Your Fears.

Just like with anything else that feels significant, fear will begin to play tricks on your mind. What if your new friends hate you for bringing up Jesus? What if you get labeled as a fanatic? What if everyone shows complete apathy for God? These are all valid, but none are reality yet. It’s just in your head. I suggest writing down each fear. For some weird reason, fears don’t seem as powerful once you put a name to it.

Step #6. Replace Fear with Faith!

Look at your list of fears. These fears are scary, but the flip-side of each of these fears is a chance for something rewarding. Sure, someone could label you… or someone could start trusting you even more. Yes, someone could hate you… or someone could become a long-lasting friend because you are genuine. Interestingly enough, fear and faith have similar definitions: “believing what you don’t see will actually happen…” I guess the difference is whom you will believe.

Step #7. Go for It Again… and Again.

Now, just go for it. Bring up faith, God, and/or Jesus when an opportunity presents itself. Ask questions about these topics. Go deeper by asking the second question. Ask for an opportunity to share God’s Story. If you are declined, then move on to other topics. Never give up. It may take several invitations before one is accepted. Hey, that’s life. Just be yourself and be consistent. You can’t control this anyway.

Step #8. Allow God to do the Hard Work.

Asking your friends to follow Jesus is a spiritual transaction that is brokered by God’s Spirit. You cannot coerce or trick anyone into a genuine relationship with Jesus. Therefore, depend on God to do the heavy lifting. You may not be able to answer every question, but that’s OK. Continue to be a good friend and engage with topics that are meaningful. God knows what He is doing. Make more invitations. Let God… be God.

Step #9. Celebrate Regardless of the Outcome.

You should celebrate anytime you get to share God’s Story to your friends! Each moment is significant. I often tell my staff and students that it is much better to count “conversations” rather than “conversions”. Each time you have a great conversation, be thankful. Celebrate. The Kingdom of God has come near!

Step #10. Take Others on the Journey.

This journey of sharing your faith should never be done alone. Go on this journey with other people. Celebrate together. Pray together. Learn together. Weep together. You will be surpassed how God molds each of you as you pursue others for Him. Besides, I feel less afraid when I do something in community. God reminds me that He is near when I know my friends are standing with me in prayer.

Don’t count yourself out. My wife is a huge introvert, but she has had countless conversations about life, faith, and Jesus with friends and coworkers. You can do it too. Consider which one of these steps needs more attention. Work on it everyday. Eventually, it will feel natural and you will see people make decisions to follow Jesus. That’s awesome.

Who says you can’t be awesome at sharing your faith? You are an Everyday World Changer! Start today.

Do you have additional advice we can add to this list? Do you have a story about sharing your faith? Please comment below. I’d love to hear from you.