The gospel is not complicated, and people will notice when we allow it to permeate all areas of our lives. All we need to do is live authentically and look for the people God brings into our orbit.
Our most recent guest on the Everyday Faith Podcast, Greg Anderson, shared with us some beautiful stories of how living his faith authentically has allowed him to share God’s love with countless people.
God met Greg in nature, and it’s in nature that God continues to move in and through his life. Greg Anderson is the President of Inspiration Point, a Christian Camp and Retreat Center in Minnesota. Through his position, he speaks around the country on leadership and ministry to children, youth, and families.
He has spent most of his life working and ministering to others during the first third of their lives. As President of the camp, he is responsible for creating and maintaining the Christ-centered culture. He provides resources and training that foster growth in the teens and young adults that work every summer.
Live the Gospel by Overcoming the Fear of Rejection
Greg shares a few stories in which he shared a little about his faith with someone and was almost immediately rejected. In one case, it was a girl he’d been dating, and shortly after opening up about his faith, the relationship ended.
Another time, a young man asked Greg about his job, and Greg hesitantly shared a little about his faith-based work. The young man promptly ended the interaction, and that was that.
As Christians, our faith is woven into all aspects of our lives. It is tempting to try and downplay, sugar-coat, or rephrase aspects of our lives to avoid potentially awkward conversations and potential rejection. That fear of rejection never completely disappears, but that doesn’t mean you should let it win.
Greg suggests holding onto the Biblical truth that Jesus himself was rejected. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus mentions that persecuted people will be blessed. If you want to live an authentic life, you don’t avoid sharing how your faith affects your life when it comes up organically in conversation. It’s an opportunity, and you never know how that one comment might impact their lives.
“It’s not about us; it’s (about) what God’s doing in people’s lives.”
Live the Gospel with Everyone You Meet, No Matter the Age
Greg’s life is dedicated to pouring into the lives and faiths of young people. His work allows him to travel the world sharing testimonies and teaching the gospel. On a trip to Ukraine in the early 2000s, Greg was able to help lead a young girl to the Lord after sharing his testimony.
“She met the God who loves her and really came face to face with the implications of that, that she wasn’t alone. That there’s a God who died for her and gave His life for her. And that impacted her life, and she recognized who she was and said I’m sorry. I’m with you now.”
Kids are far more open and have a beautiful way of accepting the simplicity of the gospel.
Related Post: Check out our conversation with Jim Wilson
Let God Speak Through Your Life
Faith conversations don’t always need to be elaborate or thorough descriptions of the gospel. Oftentimes, allowing God’s love and generosity to bleed through your actions and connections is a more effective way to share your faith.
Greg shares how showing genuine love and unexpected generosity melted cold hearts at a township meeting. Years of relationship-building and honest compassion helped him lead multiple friends to the Lord.
How to Live the Gospel with Your Whole Life
As always, we finished our conversation with Greg Anderson by asking him to share some advice with our listeners and readers. He offered these three simple insights.
Learn to have “eyes to see.”
If you see a piece of trash on the ground, take responsibility for making sure it is picked up. The same mindset can be applied to people as well. Keep your eyes open for the people God brings into your life, and accept responsibility for sharing his love with them through your actions and possibly your words.
Don’t allow life to distract you from the people in front of you.
It’s easy to get caught up in our schedules, but God always brings people into our lives who need his love and truth, so pay attention.
Try to connect some area of their lives to the gospel.
Connecting their passions or interest to who God is and what He’s done for them is like drawing a straight line to their heart.
Greg’s advice is pretty simple. It mainly boils down to keeping your eyes open and your heart ready. What is something you can do today that will help you do this on a regular basis?
Related Post: 3 Reasons Why Sharing Your Faith Story Matters
