“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes

 and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned”

(Mark 16:15, ESV).

     We have the best news available to mankind - the Gospel of Christ!  It is the “...power of God for salvation...” (Romans 1:16).  Through it, God calls mankind to the promise and blessings of everlasting life (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, 1 John 2:25).  We know that we should share the Gospel with those around us - with our families, our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, etc.  Unfortunately though, we often times find it difficult to do so.  Oh, there are a number of factors that contribute to this fact.  However, in my opinion, it usually comes down to this - we’re too focused on self.  That statement might surprise you some.  However, to demonstrate my observation, I want you to seriously consider this question:  “Why don’t I share the Gospel with those that I know?”  After giving that some thought, see if any of these statements sound familiar:  “I wouldn’t know what to say,” “I’m just not comfortable doing that,” “I don’t think he/she would be interested,” “I don’t want to offend them,” “What if they ask me a question that I can’t answer,” “I don’t know enough about the scriptures,” “I’m afraid I would embarrass myself” and the list goes on and on and on.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not trying to be overly critical.  Believe me, I can relate to these types of statements.  Now look at those statements again.  Notice how many times the pronoun “I” occurs.  In light of that observation, who are we most focused upon - on self or on those who need to hear the Gospel of Christ?

     I’m not saying that we are so focused on self that we don’t have compassion on those around us.  I believe we do and that’s why we sometimes get so frustrated with ourselves. Yet, could it be that we are too focused on self (self-apprehensions) to the point of not properly showing our compassion?  Let’s shift the focus away from ourselves and place it on the compassion that we have for others.  If we will do so, we may find that we are motivated to the point of getting beyond those self-apprehensions.  And, this truth remains also - we simply need to get outside of our own comfort zones.  

  Here’s a suggestion.  To open the door with another person, simply ask them this question:  “If Jesus was to return today, are you confident that you would be ready?”  If they say anything other than no, there’s a good opportunity to talk to them about the Gospel.  If they say, “Yes,” then you might say something like, “Oh, so you’re a Christian.  Great!”  Then get them to talk about how they were “saved” - what they did, when they did it, etc.  Once you’ve given them the opportunity to tell you their story, they’ll likely be willing to listen to yours.  This opens the door to discuss any differences that might exist in the way they responded to the Gospel compared to the way you responded.  Thereby, you’ll have a wonderful opportunity to proclaim the truth of the Gospel.