What Should We Do When Faithful Hearts Resist Evangelism?

“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Matthew 12:34

With hearts brimming with praise and thanksgiving for what Christ has done, our mouths sing, confess, and proclaim his name. Faith embraces God’s promises that we are redeemed, justified, and fully forgiven in Christ.

Though our minds recall God’s promises and assurances, we can quickly lose heart when the world envelopes us with temptations, worries, and distractions. Our minds grasp the importance of evangelism, but our hearts tend to resist spreading the Word.

How can redeemed souls in Christ take steps of faith and be active messengers of the gospel?

The Bible suggests that it starts with the heart.

The Lord does not delight in our sacrifice, or we would bring it. He does not take pleasure in what we can offer.

Psalm 51:16-17

What does God desire? A broken and contrite heart he does not despise. A broken spirit is our sacrifice that God desires. Our work for Christ starts by receiving Christ’s work for us, in us, and through us. 

Adults who are baptized know this to be true. They know what it’s like to be lost and tend to be active evangelists. With hearts flooded with true hope and peace that goes beyond understanding, they can’t help but speak to others what Christ has done for them. A broken, contrite heart receives faith and all the spiritual blessings that propels people to do what God asks us to do – be his witnesses.

If we have a desire to be active evangelists yet struggle to participate, we can go to the Lord in prayer and:

• Ask him to search our hearts (Psalm 139:23), and he will test and lead us. 
• Ask him to examine our hearts (Psalm 26:2) and create a pure one (Psalm 51:10) that restores the joy of our salvation, renews a steadfast spirit, and opens our lips to declare our praise.
• Ask the Lord to break our hearts — if necessary — so that we can receive his heart that wept over Jerusalem, sought the one lost sheep, ate with sinners, and willingly died for us.

Our minds remind us of God’s promises and assurances and our hearts embrace them. When our hearts resist exercising our faith to tell others the Good News, we need not despair. A broken and contrite heart is never despised and a vital first step to be active evangelists.