Putting yourself out there to share your faith is going to yield some static. No one escapes the occasional scoffer. Still, being rejected to your faith stings a little. I don’t care who you are. No one likes feeling those feelings. The enemy is always right in our faces when it happens. He says things that don’t sit well with us. He calls us names that sound just like our worst fears about ourselves. His main goal is to discourage you from sharing your faith again. Why not? It works so well.
When we sign up to share Jesus with people, we intellectually know that not all will agree with what we are doing. We tend to underestimate its impact on our motivation to keep sharing Jesus when it feels like no one wants to listen to what we have to say about Him.
How can we overcome these negative feelings of discouragement and feeling foolish when someone talks smack to us because we want to share Jesus with the lost? While we can never ensure that everyone will respond well when we share the love of Christ with the world, there is plenty we can do to stay emotionally and spiritually healthy about the whole thing. People rejected Jesus plenty, and He didn’t stop trying to save the world. What can you do to stay positive when you are rejected for your faith?
You Don’t Fail When You Are Rejected For Your Faith
When someone comes against us as we share our faith, many emotions can get involved that may start us on the wrong road in the conversation. The enemy is always going to try to hit you where he knows it will hurt. Mostly, he loves to attack your pride. Feeling disrespected, when left unchecked, can cause an uproar in our hearts when we feel like we are being rejected for our faith. What should we keep in mind that keeps us from being all up in our feelings in these moments?
It is not personal when someone rejects the gospel
News flash: it’s not you; it’s them. Staying positive when you are rejected for your faith is about keeping the situation in the proper perspective. What does God’s word have to say about these situations?
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
When you are rejected for your faith, they are denying who you are talking about. It is not personal. Jesus was rejected, and it wasn’t about Him either. It was about rejecting God’s authority. You don’t have to own that rejection, and God is not rattled by it either.
The Gospel Is Not About You (So Don’t Make It That Way)
When we want to share our faith, we must remember what this is about. You don’t have to get messed up over sharing Jesus if you keep the reason you are doing it in check. We don’t share the gospel for any other reason other than to save the lost and help them find their way to God. What it isn’t is this:
- You being liked
- Making Jesus cool
- Feeling superior to the unsaved
- Winning all the arguments for the faith
Whether or not someone likes you at the end of your conversation is entirely irrelevant. Suppose you make a friend and invite them to church at the end of your discussion; great. It is still not about you. It is about them meeting Jesus. In this situation, you are the third wheel.
Sometimes conversations about Jesus can only seem to go poorly. The good news about someone having such a wailing adverse reaction is that they will likely be going over your conversation with them for quite a while after leaving them. That may be the best thing that can happen overall. Let God put a spiritual pebble in their shoe. Something to mull over. You never know what will happen long after the conversation is over.
Trust God with whatever that negative conversation has to bring both of you. You each have a takeaway or two from God when these situations happen. As long as you didn’t get emotional or damage your witness when opposition comes, you are okay. If you lost your cool and went off, ask the LORD for forgiveness and move on. Don’t let the enemy get a foothold on that. It is forgivable. You will live another day to share the gospel again. Just keep in mind to stay out of the weeds emotionally over it next time.
Reflect On The Conversations Openly With God
No matter what happens in your interactions with people when you share Jesus, take them all to God in quiet reflection at the end of the day. Ask the LORD what He wants to show you, no matter how great or bad the conversation went. Rejoice in that you showed up for Jesus today. We know He is.
If you would like some more pointers on how to share Jesus with others, consider using our 6-week evangelism project. This information-packed guided project is delivered via our app. If you would like information on how to access our app, contact us today.