Don’t lose heart after a bad experience

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. - James 1:12, NIV

John was feeling confident as he met his sister Jacky for lunch that day. He was planning on inviting her to an outreach event at the Town Hall. Jacky had just returned from living in New York for a few years, and had previously shown some interest in Christian things. So John was absolutely shocked when Jacky exploded in anger to John’s invitation. She said, “I’m sick of you trying to convert me. Please never talk to me again about Christianity!” John felt depressed and his confidence in the gospel was badly shaken. It took him weeks to recover from this bad experience.

Another work colleague shared that the most discouraging thing for him is when someone agrees to come to an event but then pulls out at the last moment.

And I’ve heard of many a Christian who’s boldly raised an evangelistic topic at work and then got ‘smashed’ in the argument. They didn’t know how to answer people’s questions, and they’ve felt like a fool.

Stop and consider: Have you ever had a bad experience when trying to talk to someone about Christian things? How might you feel if someone responded angrily to your invitation to a gospel event?

Losing heart

Bad experiences can cause us to lose heart and to shrink back from trying to share Christ with people. “I can’t do it”, you tell yourself. “I’m not an evangelist. It’s too risky. I’d better just keep my mouth shut.”

Recovery and keeping at it

Here are some suggestions of how to recover from a bad experience and keep going with evangelism:

• Ask yourself, “Was it really a failure?” Our job is to give people opportunities to hear the gospel in the most loving, gentle way we can. We can’t control how they respond.
• Learn from your failures. Ask yourself, “How could I have handled that conversation/invitation better?” Consider whether it’s time to seek out some training in handling objections to the gospel.
• Seek solace and comfort. Seek solace in God’s word and with sympathetic Christian friends. As the apostle Paul says: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction…(2 Cor 1:3-4a, NIV)
• Change your expectations. As we noted in Rocket 13, Jesus tells us that few people are on the narrow road that leads to salvation but many are on the broad road that leads to destruction (Matt 7:13-14). We shouldn’t be surprised when people reject our invitations or are hostile. And if we are ready for it, it won’t be so much of a shock if it happens.
• Don’t lose faith in the power of the gospel to save people. We should be optimistic. The gospel does save people. It saved you. And remember that some people (like the apostle Paul), who were once hostile antagonists, are changed by Jesus and become great ambassadors for him.

Question: How can you recover if you’ve had a bad experience trying to engage people with the gospel?

Pray: Talk to God about any negative experiences you’ve had when sharing the gospel. Ask him for perseverance to keep going.