How Can I Share My Faith With Others?
How Can I Share My Faith With Others When I am Still Growing in My Faith?
Do you ever wonder how to share your faith with others when you are still growing in your faith? This is a very good question to ask. It is good to remember that, since there is so much to learn in our faith, we will always be growing and learning. Growing in faith is something we will do our entire lives.
Sharing your faith does not require talking to strangers, shouting from street corners, or awkward moments. Sharing your faith can be very simple. Ask God to let you see opportunities to share your faith and ask Him for His guidance.
Here are some specific, simple ways you can share your faith while you are still growing in your faith: Love others; say grace before meals when you are in public; invite a friend to pray with you; ask a friend if she or he would like for you to pray for her/him; don’t hide your faith.
How to share your faith with others
Love others.
One of the best ways to share your faith with others is to keep it simple. Do you remember the song, “And they will know we are Christians by our love”? Love is the key here. God is love. Christ suffered and died for us because of His great love for us. We can share our faith in how we love others.
Not many of us have advanced degrees in theology. That is okay! Love is something that we all have; no degree is required to show love. Showing love and compassion to others is a language all people understand.
One example of how to do this is to simply say hello to someone you see at church, at the store, at the library-wherever you are.
Sometimes you may get a feeling that you should reach out and say hello to a complete stranger. A simple, sincere hello said in kindness can make an impression on someone.
One time when my Mom was at Mass, she had a feeling that she should say hello to a woman near her whom she had never seen before. It turns out that the woman had recently moved into the area and had been attending Mass there for a few weeks. My Mom was the first person at the church who had said hello to her!
Sometimes God prompts us to greet someone and we don’t know why-but He does! A simple, kind greeting can make a difference to someone else.
Say grace before meals when you are in public.
Some people may feel awkward doing this. That is okay. I cannot tell you how many times my family and I prayed before eating at a restaurant and someone commented to us that it was nice to see us praying together; I have not keep track. I can tell you how many times someone has said something unkind when they saw us praying: zero. Not one person.
We say grace before meals at home, right? It is important to say thank You to God for His blessings; it does not matter where we are. Say thank You to Him.
Invite a friend to pray with you.
Sometimes in our friendships, we feel a need to pray. Instead of pushing that thought aside, accept it. Invite a friend to pray with you. This can be in a larger setting-like in a prayer group-or it can be just the two of you praying together.
You can pray together silently or aloud. It is up to you.
Praying with a friend for an intention can be powerful. Remember, Jesus told us that, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20.
When you pray with a friend you also invite Jesus into your conversation and into your friendship.
Ask a friend if she/he would like for you to pray for her or him.
When we have a friend in need of help or support, one of the best ways we can help them is by praying for them.
We can do this on our own in our personal prayers, by praying a Rosary for them, or by praying aloud in their presence.
One powerful example of this kind of prayer that I experienced was when two of my friends prayed over me, sharing their prayers aloud. I prayed silently, echoing their prayers in my heart.
Praying for someone, whether silently or aloud, is giving them a gift. We give of our time and love in prayer for them. Most people appreciate prayers very much and are greatful* for your prayers.
Just ask, "May I pray for you?" or you can tell a friend, "I will be praying for you." Or, as my husband likes to do, you can ask, "How can I pray for you?"
*Yes, I did spell greatful that way on purpose. To me, a grate is a grid or part of a cheese grater, not a condition of the heart. Our hearts can be great in love and gratitude; they can inspire us to greatness. I am greatful for the great things God has done for me. Thus, I spell grateful greatful this way.
Don't hide your faith.
Living in a society that does not often value faith in God, at times it can feel awkward to be open about our faith.
I try to remember Peter and the apostles after Pentecost. They were on fire with the Holy Spirit and shared the good news and the truth about Jesus and who He is: God made man.
Jesus is God. That is the truth. Jesus instituted the Catholic Church on earth, choosing Peter as our first Pope. That is the truth.
When we share our faith, we are sharing the truth. When we don't deny our faith, we are sharing the truth.
The same Holy Spirit that inspired Peter and the apostles on Pentecost lives in YOU and me. We are strengthened by the Holy Spirit to be soldiers for Christ and to stand up for the truth of our faith.
Ask God to be with you, to help and guide you to know how to stand up for your faith. He will.
What We Can Learn From St. John the Baptist
How can you share and spread your faith to others?
I hope these ideas about how you can share your faith with others when you are still growing in your faith have been helpful. Remember we will always be growing in our faith throughout our lives. God is love and He wants us to show love to others and to believe in Him.
Ask God for help in sharing your faith and standing up for your faith. Trust that He will guide you. He will.
Some resources to help you as you share and spread your faith to others
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