Who's Your One For February?
Failing Forward In Evangelism
The first month of “Who’s Your One?” is behind us. It’s a good time to stop and ask: how can I fail forward at evangelism? We’re going to make mistakes. Perhaps, you made some in 2022 already. We’ll speak when we should listen and listen when we should speak. We’ll forget to pray. We’ll get too busy and never meet with the person we intended to share the gospel with. We’ll lose courage and decide not to share the gospel because we’re afraid of their response. We’ll offer Christ to people who say, “No thanks.”
Charles Spurgeon, who described himself as “addicted” to leading people to Christ, had this to say about responding to evangelism failures:
“I may be speaking to a few who have not succeeded; if so, I would recommend them to look steadily over their motive, their spirit, their work, and their prayer, and then begin again. Perhaps they may get to work more wisely, more believingly, more humbly, and more in the power of the Holy Spirit. They must act as farmers do who, after a poor harvest, plow again in hope. They ought not to be dispirited, but they ought to be aroused. We should be anxious to find out the reason of failure, if there be any, and we should be ready to learn from all our fellow-laborers; but we must steadfastly set our faces, if by any means we may save some, resolving that whatever happens we will leave no stone unturned to effect the salvation of those around us.”
What should we do when we fail at evangelism? Consider how we could improve next time. Remember that God uses imperfect messengers to convey His perfect message. And try again expecting God to bring in His harvest.
Next Steps
Decide who your “one” is for February and prepare to share about them with your small group. If you failed to share the gospel with your “one” from January, feel free to pick them and try again this month!
Think through ways you’ve failed in evangelism and what you can do to improve next time. Prepare to share your thoughts with your small group.
Review the “Who’s Your One?” webpage and make use of the recommended resources at the bottom.
May God bless our efforts this month to share the gospel with those who are lost and need to be found!