Winning the next generation for Christ is a crucial mission that all believers should take seriously.

Young people are exposed to a wide range of ideas and lifestyles that can lead them away from the truth of the Gospel. However, I believe that with the help of the Holy Spirit and our dedication as the body of Christ living out the Great Commission, we can impact the next generation in a powerful way.

As followers of Christ, it is our responsibility to share the Good News of the Gospel with everyone around us.

However, we often hesitate to talk about our faith with the younger generation out of fear that they might reject our beliefs.

Even youths say it’s hard to talk to other youths about their faith. Sharing our faith with others can be an unnerving task, and it’s not uncommon to feel afraid or uncertain about how to go about it.

Fear is, in fact, one of the greatest hindrances to sharing Christ. But the Bible tells us that evangelism is an essential part of our calling as Christians. In Mark 16:15, Jesus commands us: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

This verse makes it clear that evangelism is not optional, but rather an essential part of our mission as believers. So why do we sometimes struggle with fear when it comes to sharing our faith?

One reason may be that we worry about how others will react.

We are afraid of saying the wrong thing and messing up a wonderful friendship, afraid of being asked a question that we can’t answer and afraid of embarrassing God, ourselves, or others.

But we need to remember that, ultimately, it is not up to us to change people’s hearts – that’s the job of the Holy Spirit.

Our job is simply to share the Gospel in a loving and respectful way and leave the results up to God.

Tasting God’s goodness

So how can we overcome our fear in sharing Christ with others? There is no secret ingredient. We just need to step out and tell others about Jesus. Just do it. The more we are intentional in sharing Christ, the less we will remain paralysed by our fears.

Typically, when we want to get better at something, we take a class, we look for a better tool and we seek a new strategy. While these things may improve our technique, they don’t really help us to overcome our fears.

We used to lead our young people out into the streets to do street evangelism. And on their first try, I will teach them to start with a smile, saying “hi” and asking: “Hey, is there anything I can pray for you?”

I do this with Grab drivers too. On the journey, it is simply a casual conversation and as I reach my destination, I always ask the driver if there are any prayer requests and if I could pray a blessing over them.

Friends, you will be surprised that, more often than not, the drivers were really open and they responded well. Some even received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

We are all naturally evangelists when it comes to the best food to eat, new games and new Netflix shows to binge on. We take pictures and post our reviews on our socials. We are not shy about telling all our friends about it.

Can we be bolder in sharing Christ? Psalm 34:8 says this: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” If you have tasted His goodness, if you have tasted His love, then the more we have to share it with others.

So let us not be afraid to evangelise. Let us trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the courage to share our faith with others. Let us show the love of Christ to the younger generations and be faithful in our mission to make disciples of all nations.

May the Lord Jesus Christ give us a great burden for the lost. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect

1. What are the ways you have tasted and seen God’s goodness in your life?

2. How would you tell these stories of God’s goodness to someone?

3. How will you practise sharing Christ with a pre-believer today?

Pray

1. Pray for the boldness and courage to share the Gospel with others, especially with the younger generation. Ask for the fear of rejection or embarrassment to be replaced with confidence in God’s truth and love.

2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you in your evangelistic efforts. Ask God for the right words, wisdom and understanding to effectively communicate the Good News to those who come into your life.

3. Pray specifically for the younger generation, who are exposed to more diverse ideas and lifestyles than any other generation. Ask God to work in their hearts, helping them discern the truth of the Gospel amidst the distractions of the world. Pray for God to stir up a genuine interest in them to know more about Christ and His love.