Why Is Evangelism So Hard?
Confession: I have been serving as a missionary leader in South Asia for more than 19 years, and I still have seasons when evangelism feels hard.
I have wished for years that I was one of those people (if they even exist) who jumps out of bed every morning, pumped about sharing the Gospel with every lost person she encounters. I can get so frustrated with myself that, after all these years as a missionary who is basically paid to share the Gospel and train others to do the same, evangelism doesn’t often come “naturally” to me. Why does evangelism - something we Christians all know we should be doing - feel so hard for newbies and so-called “experts” alike?
While confessing my lack of exuberance for evangelism can stir up feelings of shame, I think it’s helpful to be honest about our feelings about evangelism so we can search for biblical solutions. The honest truth is that evangelism is inherently hard, because it's uncomfortable, sacrificial, and our enemy opposes it.
Evangelism is uncomfortable.
Discipleship, for example, can feel so comfortable: I get to discuss meaningful biblical truths at a scheduled, convenient time with a sweet sister in a cozy coffee shop, sipping my English Breakfast tea with steamed almond milk. That’s my type of ministry! Evangelism, on the other hand, requires me to step out of my comfort zone and take the risk of talking to someone I don’t know well, having no idea how she will respond, often at unplanned and inconvenient times. The New Testament writers prepare us to be insulted (1 Peter 4:14) and even hated (John 15:18) for the name of Christ. That’s uncomfortable!
Evangelism is sacrificial.
We are, like the Apostle Paul, called to give up our rights and preferences and become all things to all people in order to save some (1 Cor. 9:19, 22). I have to give up my time, preferences, and emotional energy in order to share the Good News with others. And with my busy, stressful life, I often have very little margin in my schedule or emotional energy to give toward engaging people in Gospel conversations. When I go on an evening walk around my neighborhood after a tiring day with people, that is “my time.” I want to escape to an encouraging podcast, music, or audiobook for just a minute before returning back to my busy home full of wonderful but needy people. I just don’t feel the energy to talk to a stranger!
Evangelism is inherently uncomfortable and sacrificial. Many of you sharp readers are already thinking of the Gospel answer to this reality: Jesus Christ experienced the worst discomfort and made the greatest sacrifice on the cross to bring us to God. He is our example, and we are to follow in His steps and be willing to suffer through evangelism to bring others to God (1 Peter 2:21, 3:18).
There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that evangelism feels uncomfortable and sacrificial! That puts us in a position to depend on the Holy Spirit to empower and embolden us to open our mouths. In the Christian life, we often have to “obey when we don’t feel like it,” and pray that our imperfect emotions catch up with our right actions.
I remember a time when God deeply convicted me that my feelings shouldn’t determine whether or not I share the Gospel. We had been on the mission field in South Asia for more than five years, and I attended a training in another city for women missionaries. I returned home to my husband and three preschoolers with renewed zeal for evangelism, and soon after I shared the Gospel with my server at a coffee shop. In that moment, I sensed the Lord say something to me that I have never forgotten: “Your server got to hear the Gospel today because you happened to be ‘fired up’ about evangelism today. What if you had come to this coffee shop last week and weren’t feeling these warm fuzzies about talking to strangers about My love? This young man wouldn’t have heard the Good News. His access to the Good News is dependent on how you feel.” Ouch. This is why we need to be honest about our feelings about evangelism. We need to overcome them and obey anyway. A lost person’s access to the Gospel shouldn’t be dependent on my ever-changing moods!
But the uncomfortable and sacrificial nature of evangelism isn’t the only reason we don’t share; there is also spiritual warfare involved. Satan tells us many lies to keep us from sharing the Gospel, such as paralyzing us with shame, making us unreasonably dread evangelism, and luring us to escape instead of engage.
Satan loves to paralyze us with shame when we begin even thinking about sharing the Gospel.
Shame keeps many believers from even attempting to start Gospel conversations. When the topic of evangelism comes up, many of us immediately feel ashamed of how little we actually share the Gospel. Thoughts like, “If people knew how little I’ve shared the Gospel in the last few months, they would think I’m a counterfeit Christian / missionary,” run through our heads. And this shame can be paralyzing: why even try getting better at evangelism when my track record is so bad? Satan is happy when we stay stuck in our shame.
The truth to combat this lie from Satan is that the Lord Jesus wants us to bring our shame to Him! The Lord Jesus is always ready to take our shame, fill us freshly with His Spirit, and give us both the desire and power to obey (Phil. 2:13). If we have sin to confess, such as failing to care for lost people or being ashamed of the Gospel, we need to confess that to the Lord and give Him our shame, not hide it from Him (Psalm 51, 1 John 1:9). Many times, a personal revival in evangelism in my life has come after experiencing low points of confession and shame.
Along with using shame to discourage us, Satan keeps us from sharing the Gospel by convincing us that evangelism is a dreadful task. Yes, evangelism is uncomfortable, but it’s not dreadful! There are some days when I would rather clean my bathroom than go out for outreach! Satan whispers lies to make us unreasonably dread sharing the Gospel as if we have something bad to share with people. We can subconsciously expect our efforts to be completely in vain as if God would never use our efforts to save someone.
The truth to combat this sense of dread for evangelism is to remember that we have Good News to share about a loving God who died to give us life (Rom. 5:8)! We have a wonderful Savior and a loving, life-giving message (Luke 19:10, 2 Cor. 5:21). While acknowledging the uncomfortable nature of evangelism, we need to remember that we have Good News of forgiveness and love to share with everyone.
Additionally, we need to remember that we do not share the Gospel in vain. Faith comes through hearing the Word of Christ (Rom. 10:17). God is preparing some people’s hearts, and every encounter has the potential of being a divine encounter. The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin (John 16:8) and draws people to Himself (John 6:44), and He may just use us! I can push through the sense of dread before sharing the Gospel by remembering the possibility that God might work.
A final lie that Satan whispers to stop us from sharing the Gospel is that we will be happier if we escape people than if we engage people. As I already confessed, I sometimes believe the lie that engaging people requires too much energy. When I’m out for a walk, I notice thoughts like, “You will be happier if you escape people. Keep to yourself. Listen to your air pods; this is your time. Engaging people requires too much energy, and is not rewarding. It just drains you. You need a break!”
The truth to combat this lie is that true joy comes through obeying God’s commands (Psalm 119:2). Abiding in Christ, loving Christ, and obeying Christ are connected and result in fullness of joy (John 15:11). Focusing on myself and my needs feels good for a bit, but it cannot deliver the deep joy of obedience or the joy of serving others (1 Thess. 2:8). Sharing the Good News of Jesus with someone else serves to renew my thankfulness for the Gospel. Refreshing others with the love of Christ also refreshes me (Prov. 11:25). Engaging someone with the Gospel even in simple ways can rejuvenate my soul more powerfully than “me time.”
Friends, how do you feel about evangelism? Do you often find it uncomfortable and sacrificial? Do you feel shame or dread when you think about it? Jesus Christ suffered in order to bring people to God, leaving an example for us so we might follow in His steps. Pray that your evangelistic efforts will not be dependent upon your mood on a given day. Take any shame you feel to Jesus. Remember that you have Good News to share about a wonderful Savior, and maintain hope that God just might use you to bring someone else closer to Him. Remember the rewards on the other side of the uncomfortable, sacrificial moments required for evangelism, and push through to get those rewards! Get the fullness of joy in obedience that Jesus promised. Get that refreshment that comes from refreshing others. Choose to engage, not escape, to bring others to God and experience deeper joy.
Editor’s Note: If you need help getting started sharing the Good News of Jesus, please get in touch! We would love to help you take your next (or first!) steps.