Overcoming Fear in Witnessing

In 2018 I was convicted.???God put the realization on my heart that I should be more urgent in sharing my faith with others.??Despite fellowship, bible study and more I was avoiding this important work.

This conviction was strong enough to lead me to seek out a(n) evangelical witness partner and join a local group that shares their faith in public.?????As such , I took to the streets of San Clemente on periodic Friday nights to get to work.

As I began engaging in the work of evangelism I was often overcome with fear of rejection and a worry about looking like a fool.??I would often avoid a person that looked intimidating,?and once even popped into a Hobie store to buy a shirt and remove myself from witnessing for a few minutes.????Thank God for his patience and long-suffering nature.??

I have often been asked how to overcome this fear.???I have given various answers,?including remembering that you are simply called to open your mouth faithfully,?and reminding yourself that the outcome belongs to God.

But in reflecting on the reason that I avoided witnessing?I came to a more foundational realization.???It was not simply that I was in fear.??It was deeper than that.??It was that my fear trumped my love for others.??This was a difficult realization.???How could I let fear overcome my love for a person’s eternal security in Christ and avoidance of hell??????

It is important to be truthful with ourselves and let God’s word and Spirit sanctify and grow us.??Conviction, while painful, can be used for greater things. Perhaps even being a vessel that God uses to draw people to Christ.

It is often said that courage is not the absence of fear but doing the right thing despite the fear.??I pray that I,?and all of us,??have the courage to overcome our fear through the love of our neighbor.????Because,?as the bible says,?perfect love casts out fear!