Focus on What God Thinks of People, Not What People Think of You

Fear in evangelism often results in being too self-focused. Notice that I used the word self-focused, not selfish. Most people I’ve observed who want to talk to acquaintances about Christ are not selfish people. The very fact that they are concerned about somebody else’s eternal welfare and not just their own says so. Selfish people are content to go to heaven alone. Selfless people are not.

Self-focus is different. It results from worrying too much about what others might think of you if you share the Gospel with them. Questions such as, “Will they still be my friend?” “Will they think less of me?” “Will I lose respect?” hinder evangelism. Nobody in their right mind would enjoy any of these negative responses. Who wants to lose a friend, be thought less of, or lose respect? At the same time, “I” is at the center of all of these worries. Focusing on yourself becomes distracting at its least, defeating at its worst.

There are two words consistently used in Scripture that help refocus our attention. The first word is love. Biblically defined, it means to put the other person first, even if it means the sacrifice of ourselves. John 3:16 explains, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The proof of God’s love is that He put us first even though it meant the sacrifice of His own Son. The second is the word compassion. It means to be filled with pity. Matthew 9:36 tells us, “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” Jesus Christ pitied non-Christians.

Both of these words switch the focus to how Christ feels about the lost, not how they feel about us. Furthermore, if Jesus Christ was willing to sacrifice His life for us, we ought to be willing to sacrifice friendship, pride, or respect. In fact, it is only a matter of time before Chirstlike love and compassion overcome fear. Possible rejection takes a back seat to the real issue of salvation. Knowing that we have a message that will save them from eternal separation from God and give them life that has meaning, purpose, and fulfillment becomes the focus.

To be consistently bold in evangelism, we must focus on what God thinks of them, not what they think of us.

The Presence of Fear Does Not Mean the Absence of Love

It’s been said there are two great hindrances to evangelism – a cold heart and cold feet. The problem is that we see one as the symptom of the other. We assume cold feet are proof of a cold heart.

The apostle Paul’s entire ministry has driven by love. He testifies, “For the love of Christ compels us” (II Cor. 5:14). Knowing the abundant love of Christ, Paul felt compelled to make a priority in his life what is a priority with God – the people for whom He died. Paul’s heart was obviously attuned with the Savior’s. So deeply concerned what he for the salvation of his own people that he testified, “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved” (Rom. 10:1). He even stated one chapter earlier that he could with himself separated from God if it would secure the salvation of his people. He explains, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:3). Paul was so captivated by the love of Christ that His love radiated through him to others.

Nevertheless, that never prevented him from having moments of fear. He still sensed the need to pray for boldness. He requested prayer “that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19).

Nowhere does Scripture state of even imply that the presence of fear means the absence of love. The presence of fear, however, often says more about how much we are moved by His love than how much we aren’t. Torn by fear, yet knowing the person must meet the Savior, we do what we can to make the Gospel clear. Fear is an excellent reason to fall to our knees in prayer – not a reason to jump into a pool of guilt.