Yes, rejection is always possible. But there are a few things
you can do to avoid it and recover from it. . .
1) Ask lots of questions.
People like to be asked questions - if you ask for
their opinion and truly listen, they'll respect you
and, more importantly, feel valued.
2)Ask one question at a time in 'baby steps'.
Don't move too quickly. The goal is not to get them
to accept Jesus on the spot (I would question the sincerity
of anyone who did accept Christ immediately without asking
for more information) but rather to get them to think.
Get their brains ticking, give them thoughts to chew on.
3) Remember: God wants them to come into a relationship with
him even more than we do. He's on your side.
4) Don't go cold calling.
I've never seen this work. It might in some cases, but personally,
I haven't seen it happen. Let the Lord show you who to talk to.
Don't just grab paperwork and stand on a corner, up on your soapbox
and attempt initiating a revival. You'll be dissappointed. Let God
show you what He wants you to do.
5) Don't be afraid to ask God for clarification.
If you want to talk to someone about God, but you're not sure if
it's the right time, just ask. God will make it clear to you if
you ask, He doesn't want us to be 'in the dark' about these things.
It took me a long time to get to the point where I could talk to
Brett about God (we were friends for a year and a half first!), but
I finally took the plunge when I saw how much weight he was carrying
around. I know how much burden the Lord has taken from me, and I knew
it was time to show him.
I can't tell you that these 5 steps are the keys to witnessing
effectively. I can only tell you that they've worked for me. Jesus
never said that the life of a Christian would be easy, He just said
He'd be there with us. My advice to you: Just try it. If it works,
you'll be thrilled and amazed at God's goodness. If it doesn't work
the first time, don't be discouraged because you still planted that
imperishable seed
that someone else may be able to work with a little ways down the path.
I also guarantee that you'll learn something valuable about yourself,
God or evangelism while you witness, despite the success rate.
|
|
You are absolutley right on all points: You spent a very long
time getting to know me, which was what made it so much easier
to listen to you when God answered you with the Divine Encouragement.
It was obvious only to every one else how much weight I was
carrying around. Selfishly refusing to accept that there was
a loving God who only wanted for us to be happy I would wonder,
angrily, "Why has God left me here in this condition!!!".
It had nothing to do with Him and everything to do with me -
I was the one who would not give myself over to God and tried to
retain 'control' of my life. Not only is that attitude an affront
to God but also left me miserable as I denied myself Gods love, His
guidance and strength.
|
