Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
— 2 Corinthians 3:5-6
The famous author Robert Louis Stevenson tells of a storm that caught a ship off a rocky coast and threatened to drive the ship into the rocks, which would mean certain destruction. In the midst of the ordeal, one of the passengers disobeyed the crew’s orders, got up, and walked up to the deck where he saw the ship’s pilot holding the wheel unwaveringly.
The pilot saw the passenger and shot him a quick smile. So the man turned around and calmly walked back down below deck. Upon returning to his seat, he smiled and told the rest of the passengers, “I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well.”
Quite often, we’re most convincing not because of what we say, but how we say it. These non-verbal communication cues actually say more than our actual words. So when we’re telling people about the Lord, the way in which we speak—our body language, our countenance, and our tone of voice—has much more bearing on the message than the words themselves!
When you share the message of Christ with others, don’t feel like you have to hit every fine point of theology. Tell people what Christ has done, share your story of faith, and most importantly, do it confidently. Exude confidence in your testimony and you’ll speak volumes as you share the gospel with others!
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to increase your confidence when it comes to sharing your story of faith with others.
Questions for Thought
Why do you think it’s difficult for Christians to be confident when sharing the message of Jesus with others?
If we really believe the gospel is true, why should sharing it with others be different than telling them any other story?