The idea of telling your friends about Jesus is intimidating. Perhaps you’re embarrassed, scared or overwhelmed to share your faith. What if your friends think you’re wrong or lame? What if you offend your friends and they stop liking you? What if you say the wrong thing or they ask you a question and you don’t know the answer? All these emotions seem like legitimate reasons for not sharing Christ with your friends. But they don’t have to be. 

If you understand how much Jesus loves you, you’ll want to share that love with others. If you truly care for your friends, you’ll want them to embrace His love too. But it’s hard to share something so big and amazing. That’s why it’s incredibly comforting that the Holy Spirit will help you. He wants a relationship with your friends too! That means He does the hard work for you. 

If you feel the Holy Spirit leading you to tell a friend about Christ, then follow that leading. If there’s anything else that’s pressing you to tell a friend about Jesus, then ask God to give you clarity. A lot of people feel wrongly pressured into sharing God’s love with others. Sometimes this can cause a relationship to become broken. However, God can mend that brokenness, so always lean on Him, not on your own understanding. 

Here’s a few ideas to help you share your love for Jesus with others:

PRAY

Pray that God would open your friend’s heart to hear about Him. Pray that God would provide you with the courage, insight and opportunity to share His love with your friend. 

GATHER

Ask other people to pray for your friend as well.  

And, pray that God would bring other people into your friend’s life who will also reveal His love for her. It doesn’t even have to be people you know. If multiple people who love the Lord are involved in her life, then it will be easier for her to accept and see what you’re offering. 

GUIDE

Ask God to guide you, reveal the right time and place. He knows what you’re capable of, He made you that way. If you have a bold or adventurous personality, He might present an obscure or risky opportunity to tell your friend about Jesus. If you’re super energetic, then He might give you an animated or robust way to share with your friend. If you’re preserved and shy, then God will certainly present a clear and intimate manner of communicating. No matter the situation and circumstance, He will be with you. He’ll give you the right words. Don’t force the situation. Let God direct you.

ACT

Act like a Christian. That doesn’t mean you’re perfect, but it does mean that you believe God’s word and you follow it. It also means you admit when you’re wrong. It means being real and vulnerable because Jesus is. Acting like a Christian means that you admit that life is hard and uncertain at times, but you experience moments of unexplainable peace during those times. It looks like having joy when it seems like you’ve failed, simply because you know you aren’t a failure. It means pursuing something larger than yourself and having hope. Being a Christian involves loving people that don’t deserve your love. Serve and care for them like God does for you.

SPEAK

Speak firmly about what you believe in. Don’t change your heart’s intention around your friend. If you would say something in church, say it to your friend. You may need to alter the Christian terminology to words that she would understand. But, speak boldly, confidently and without fear. 

SHARE

Share what God is doing in your life. How is He helping you? How has He revealed Himself to you? When has He given you His strength, peace, love and joy to rely on? You don’t need to go out of your way to give advice that isn’t warranted, but be yourself and act accordingly. Your friend loves you and cherishes your friendship. That means she will honor your relationship with Christ. If she doesn’t, then the friendship may not have been as strong as you thought. 

Even a friend who has strict religious beliefs of her own that aren’t Christian will still honor who you are and your faith in Christ. Honor them as well and ask about what they believe. It doesn’t mean that you’re opening the door for them to convert you, it just means that you’re learning more about your friend so your friendship with her can deepen and grow. 

LEARN AND GROW

Read scripture and learn more about Christ. Go to church and grow in your faith and knowledge of Him. You will never have all the answers, and that is actually what makes faith so genuine and beautiful. 

The secret to sharing your faith with a friend is to simply be yourself. You need to follow God’s guide and trust in His goodness. You don’t need to go out of your way or do anything that you’re uncomfortable with. It’s not about you. It’s about God bringing His beloved closer to Him. Let Him use you. Don’t dictate what’s going to happen or how it’s going to be. Just be the person He created you to be and He will use you as He planned.