Humanly speaking, a person can gain confidence through observation and repetition.
One excellent way to build confidence sharing your faith is by partnering with a more experienced Christian. Many churches today have tract distribution ministries, knocking on doors, street preaching, home Bible studies, and other similar activities. You could ask a more experienced believer to allow you to join him in one or more of these activities and mentor you.
In time, you will gain confidence because you have observed how this person manages different circumstances. Soon, you can try being the lead on such occasions and your mentor can give you feedback.
One day, you will be able to share your faith with more confidence, whether in a group or privately with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, or even strangers. You will have been trained to share the Gospel through observation and repetition.
Spiritually speaking, a Christian can gain boldness in sharing his faith through a personal relationship with Christ, prayer, filling with the Holy Spirit, and love for his neighbors.
1. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ
In Acts 1:8, the Lord told the disciples that they would be His witnesses throughout the world. One can only be a witness when they have witnessed something.
If someone has never been saved himself, he cannot share with others his personal testimony. Paul shared his personal encounter with Christ on at least two occasions (Acts 22:3–15 and Acts 26:12–18).
A believer who has had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ will naturally be a witness and want to tell others (e.g. John 1:40–42, John 4:28–30).
However, as time goes by, the fire tends to dwindle and we lose our first love (Revelation 2:4), which is why we must continually nurture our relationship with Christ (cf. 2 Peter 3:18).
2. Prayer
Paul asked that others pray for his boldness so he could make known the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19). The disciples in Acts 4:29–30 prayed for boldness to speak the word of God.
Prayer for boldness along with open doors (Colossians 4:3) is an important element of sharing the Christian faith.
3. Filled with the Holy Spirit
In Acts 1:8, the Lord told the disciples that they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them and they would be His witnesses. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter and the other disciples fulfilled that statement when the Holy Spirit descended upon them and they spoke with great power (Acts 2).
In another instance, the answer to the disciples’ prayer in Acts 4:29 was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31) and spoke the word of God with great boldness.
To gain more boldness to speak, seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
4. Love for neighbors
The Lord tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (e.g. Mark 12:31, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8). Sharing the Gospel with someone is an act of love. When you love your neighbor more than yourself, you will speak without fear of what you look like or sound like because the message is urgent. It is a life and death message.
When someone is trapped in a burning house, you do not consider your shyness—you tell him plainly how he can escape the fire. In Acts 19:8, Paul spoke boldly in the synagogues because he had a message to share with his fellow Jews whom he longed for to be saved (cf. Romans 9:3), not because he enjoyed the rejection.
When we think of ourselves and our shyness, we are exhibiting self-centeredness, but when we look outward at the needs of others, we are no longer thinking of ourselves. You will realize that you have an urgent message people need to hear, and as the Lord opens doors, you will be ready to share it. Paul spoke plainly (2 Corinthians 3:12) because people needed to hear the message.
Conclusion
Humanly speaking, confidence can be developed through observation and repetition—putting yourself repeatedly in faith-sharing situations.
Spiritually speaking, boldness to witness to others comes from a (close) personal walk with Jesus Christ, prayer, being filled with the Spirit, and loving your neighbors.
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Written by Jerry Smith
Image source: https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/ryanjlane
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