We’ve been talking a lot about inviting people to church and sharing your story lately, but let’s address the elephant in the room… What if someone says no? What if you get rejected? Friend, I can speak from personal experience, trust me, you will be okay.
I met one of my best friends in kindergarten. We went to elementary school and two years of high school together. Even when we weren’t in the same schools, we still had one day a week where we would hang out after school. We were close – living through awkward teen moments, celebrations and disappointments. Pretty much the only way we are different is that I was raised in church and with a family that taught me about God and she wasn’t.
Fast forward to our first semester in college. We were at different universities and had somewhat lost touch. My grandmother passed away a few weeks before Christmas that year and I was devastated. I was very emotional, and it was the first time I had lost someone that I was that close to. I called my friend to tell her the news and I let my emotions do the talking. Through tears, I shared the Gospel to her over the phone, and, driven by my sincere desire for her to know Jesus like I did, I invited her to come to church with me over Christmas break.
Ever kind and tactful, she agreed and I was so excited. A couple of weeks later, she came home for the break and I called her to ask her to come to church with me. That’s when she told me that she would not be joining me for church. She said she didn’t see how sitting in a church for a few hours would help me, but she was there for me if I needed anything.
I was devastated. Crushed. Embarrassed. And feeling like I had completely ruined not only any possibility of my friend being saved, but also decades of friendship. I had blown it.
But friend, can I let you in on a lie-busting truth that it took me years to grasp? Our job is not to convert people, it’s not to present the Gospel perfectly and it’s not even to get people to say yes. All of that is up to the Holy Spirit, and trust me, he never takes even a second off. Our job is just to share.
Yes, we need to be prepared when we share the Gospel and feel confident instead of going into it blindly or allowing our emotions to steer the conversation. However, how someone responds is not up to us. We’re responsible for making the invitation and letting God do the rest.
If you’re wondering what happened to my friend, in our mid-twenties, we reconnected and fell right back into place like no time had passed. We text everyday about anything and everything. I talk about my faith and share what God’s doing in my life and she listens and celebrates. In trying times, I offer to pray for her and sometimes she even asks me to pray. I continue to pray for her salvation and that God would put people in her life that can lead her to him. I pray for wisdom to know if and when God wants me to share with her again, and in the meantime, I do my best to be the hands and feet of Jesus to her.
So try not to get caught up in the possibility of rejection or being told no. Remember, sharing is our responsibility, the outcome is not.