How to influence people

I have been looking at how we as followers of Jesus can be more effective in influencing others for the Kingdom. It seems to me that in fact we are not doing so good.



When I was a young believer I used to cringe when people started talking about 'witnessing'. It usually involved confronting total strangers and 'sharing' your faith with them. I did try it a couple of times but found I just felt uncomfortable doing it. Then visiting speakers would come along and share their experiences; how they would be travelling on a plane and during the flight lead the person next to them to Christ! Wonderful stories that only made me feel more inadequate and dismissive of even trying.



As I have travelled through my faith journey I have seen many 'witnessing' episodes that have made me embarrassed and sometimes even angry. People are often so intent on 'converting' a person, that they become insensitive to how people really feel. A non-believer is not always unhappy with their life of 'sin'! They are not necessarily 'really bad people' either. And getting them to church is not always the best place for them to be.


What we have tried to be with people we live, work or socialise with is genuine and authentic . We love them because they are people created by God and he has put them into our pathway. Some of them become our friends, we enjoy their company and we love them. Because they are our friends, we naturally want them to meet Jesus. But we don't have a list with their name on it that we can tick off when they 'get saved'! Even if they don't become a follower of Jesus we will keep being their friend.


We have a number of neighbours that we have been friends with for many years; we have been to parties in their homes, they have been to ones in our home, we have shared BBQ's and gone on outings. These are natural things that friends do together and they know we have a relationship with Jesus. Sometimes we invite them to social gatherings with believing friends; we are not compartmentalising our life, we are being 'real' with who we are.


I will continue this later...