Have you ever been shy about sharing Jesus with others for fear that you would become tongue tied and embarrass yourself? The enemy has given every believer that feeling at one time or another. Those of us who have overcome it must never forget to encourage newer believers to rely completely on the Holy Spirit. Jesus described to his disciples how to tell others about Him even in the most difficult situations they would ever face. “You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!” Luke 21:12-15
How can we ever accurately express how it felt when we accepted Jesus Christ as our savior and opened ourselves to God’s Holy Spirit? The wonder of God’s love and the thrill of beginning a new life with Him seem beyond words. But even Helen Keller, who was born deaf and blind, found words to describe her life changing transformation. “Once I knew only darkness and stillness… my life was without past or future… but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness and my heart leaped to the rapture of living.”
God promises through His Holy Spirit not only to present us with opportunities to share Him with others, but to give us the right words and wisdom at the exact time they are needed. When we allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us, His message will not be a canned speech to be memorized. He knows the hearts and the needs of each person to whom we testify, so the words He puts in our mouth will be the exact words they need to hear at that moment, whether it is simply inviting them to worship next Sunday or introducing them to Jesus Christ.
A friend shared an experience with me recently that is a great example of how this whole process works. After a noon Sunday service at CLC, she went down front to share some encouraging words with the pastor, but there were several people ahead of her so she turned to leave. She noticed a young woman bent over in prayer as she continued toward the exit. Just before she reached the doors she felt the tug of the Holy Spirit. Turning around, her eyes again focused on that young woman. She went up to her and asked if there was something she could pray with her about. Startled, she replied that she was praying for God to send an older woman to show her how she could ever be worthy of heaven. My friend began by explaining that none of us is worthy of heaven, but God’s love and grace make it possible for us to go there anyway. That young woman poured out all of her guilt and doubt as my friend shared God’s word and her life experiences with her until the lights were turned out in the sanctuary. She gave the young woman her contact information and told her to contact her any time she needed to talk to someone. My friend described to me how they both left church that afternoon smiling broadly and walking on air. When you are sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, you never know when you will be the answer to someone’s prayer.