Okay, I’ll be honest. When I used the word “reasons” in the title, I really meant, “excuses.” But I was trying to be nice and to entice you to read this article. (I guess it worked!)
People make excuses for not obeying God’s commands all the time. Moses did it in Exodus 3 and 4, even while He was in the middle of experiencing one of the most unique presentations of God in all of history – the burning bush.
I hear excuses all the time. Below are the top five reasons people tell me they are not sharing the gospel. All of them are related to fear.
Fear of Embarrassment – Don’t want people to make fun of them.
Fear of No Response – Don’t want to be rejected.
Fear of Intense Response – Don’t want to be persecuted.
Fear of Ignorance – Don’t know all the answers.
Fear of Shame – Don’t know how to deal with their own sin.
None of these excuses are acceptable. They all correspond to fear, which is a lack of faith in our Savior. As Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1, God did not give us a “spirit of fear,” but a “spirit of power, love, and self-control.” Furthermore, Paul encouraged Timothy to boldly testify of the gospel because God is trustworthy and able, by His Holy Spirit, to “guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
We all fight fear. Overcome fear by preaching the gospel to yourself. Remind yourself that these are merely excuses that keep you from fulfilling the commission of Christ to make disciples of all nations (Mt.28:19-20).
