Most Christians know they “ought” to be motivated to share Christ with others, but it has been my experience that people who are truly motivated to do so are few and far between.
Honestly, there are times when I struggle with motivation as well, and I serve at an evangelistic ministry full-time. I have a tendency when I am out and about to focus on getting things done. If I go to the grocery store, often my objective is to get in, get out, and get home as quickly as possible. When I am in a hurry, I tend to view others as obstacles to achieving my agenda rather than viewing them as opportunities to further His Kingdom agenda. I find that my own selfishness is the greatest obstacle in my personal evangelism efforts.
By far, the best source of motivation for me in evangelism is to continually invest in my personal relationship with Christ. The freshness and vitality that I glean from my walk with my Savior tends to overflow into all other aspects of my life, including my evangelism efforts. When I draw close to Him in worship, prayer, and fixing my mind on Him, I find that I am more aware of God given opportunities to share, more sensitive to the needs of others, and much more motivated to tell others about Him.
Without the freshness that comes from my personal, moment-by-moment walk with Christ, evangelism can turn into an obligation. It becomes just another “to do” in the Christian life, another task to check off an ever-growing list. This is not at all what Christ had in mind. We are not simply communicating a set of principles to another person. We are sharing our living Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. Drawing close to Him both motivates and empowers me to share.
Do you find it hard to stay motivated in evangelism? If so, what do you think is the cause?
