Evangelism Isn't About Me

It’s not about me November and I wanted to share with you a lesson I learned the hard way about evangelism and how it pushed my comfort zone, uncomfortably. In high school I went to visit my grandparents, who are believers in a different religion, the first chance my grandmother had she tried to take me to her church and get me to convert to that religion. I respectfully told her that I followed Jesus Christ and that I wasn’t interested in this other religion, she turned to me angrily and told me how disappointed my parents must be in me for following Christianity. It was a huge blow to my confidence in sharing my faith, especially with her.

Several years later I felt more comfortable in evangelism and sharing my faith when meeting new people or sharing with friends, but the comfort zone ended at sharing my faith with my grandmother. I was getting ready to go on a mission trip in 2011 and I went to visit my grandparents again so I could see them before I left. My grandmother opened up opportunities where I could have shared why it is that I follow Jesus Christ but each time the opportunity came up I felt uncomfortable and afraid of her rejection or the possibility it could end up with her extremely mad at me and not wanting me to be part of the family anymore. When I drove out of their driveway I waved goodbye and drove home in tears because of how much my heart was breaking for my family who did not know, really know, who Jesus Christ was. I guess I thought another opportunity would come up in the future where I felt more comfortable, a perfect opportunity, but that opportunity would never come with my grandmother again. Three months later while I was on my mission trip I got an e-mail that my grandmother passed away unexpectedly. The amount of grief I had was immense. I grieved her leaving this world, but more I grieved that I did not take the opportunity to share the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ alone by faith with her. So this Not About Me November I wanted to challenge you that sharing your faith isn’t about you, it is about the person you are sharing your faith with and ultimately it's about Jesus' passion for them to know Him. They might not take it well, they might reject you, but in the light of eternity it is worth any amount of rejection or discomfort you may have.

If you are like me and have family you love who are completely unopened to hearing about Jesus Christ I want you to know that I am praying for God to give you the perfect opportunities, words, and selflessness to share with them, and that their hearts may be opened to receive it.  

Check out the rest of the Not About Me November Series

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About Hope

Hope McCleary graduated from Mesa State College with a degree in Mass Communications. After graduating she spent two years working in local news at KKCO 11 News in Grand Junction, Co. She decided to give up her career in the media to share the message of Christ full-time. She joined full-time staff with Master Plan Ministries the summer of 2012 and got married to Forrest McCleary in September of 2012. Through her own personal ups and downs in college Hope has a heart for college women understand their worth as God’s daughters, to see them grow in their faith, to grow in the unique gifts God has given them, and to stand firm in their faith even with the pressures of the world all around them. Hope’s interests include world and local missions, photography, singing, playing guitar and writing music, reading, meeting new people, coffee, and hiking. 

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