The #1 Reason Believers Don’t Share the Gospel with Others

I admit my conclusion here is based on anecdotal evidence. I also recognize that other studies have often shown that fear is the primary reason believers give for not evangelizing. I understand that a lack of training is an issue, too, when so many churches offer no evangelistic training at all. Here, though, is my conclusion: 

We don’t tell others about Jesus because we have lost our wonder over Him.

Think about it. It didn’t always happen this way, but it was regularly the case in the Gospels that people amazed by Jesus talked about Him (e.g., Mark 1:27-28, 39-45; Mark 2:12). They had never heard anyone teach like He taught. They had never seen anyone work miracles like He did. At times, the crowds chased after Him because they wanted to hear more from Him. There was surely a reason people like Jairus and the woman with a blood disease came to Him in their need: they had heard about Him because somebody was talking about Him (see Mark 5:27). 

I remember my early days as a believer when words about what Jesus meant to me almost dripped from my lips. Frankly, I was a zealous, sometimes obnoxious evangelist who probably pressed too hard at times and failed to speak enough of God’s love at other times—but I almost couldn’t stop speaking about Him. Whether you were my junior high classmate, my next-door neighbor, my grocery store co-worker, or my new acquaintance in the doctor’s office, I was going to tell you about Jesus. Wonder and fascination over Him drive believers in that direction. 

Today, I confess I haven’t always had that same zeal. The Lord has been re-igniting that passion in me over the last few years, but I regret that I had allowed my Christianity to become routine . . . even “normal.” Sure, I was serving God daily in several roles, but my lack of intentional evangelism was evidence I was taking Jesus for granted. Here are some steps that have helped me move back in the right direction:

1. Confess any apathy to God. I had to be honest with God. No pretense. No excuses. No explanations. I had lost my wonder. 
2. Read through the Gospels to see others fascinated by Jesus. When you watch for these examples in the Scriptures, you will find them in many places. They occur often enough that I wanted that zeal to return, too. Maybe this previous post, “7 Reasons to be Filled with Wonder over Jesus,” will help you think again about why Jesus is awesome. 
3. Daily ask God to restore your awe over Christ. The burden for me became this: I want to be found honoring Him at His feet today – not just when I get to heaven. 
4. Intentionally build a relationship with at least one unbeliever. My point here is that we must act in obedience now in sharing the gospel—and trust that the wonder will return. Often, wonder comes because we’ve been obedient. 

Let us know in the comments section if you’d like us to pray for you and your wonder over Jesus. Blessings!