Bringing Christ to the Family?
美佳之窗 His Window 99（ Jul - Sep 2022 ）
By: Rev. Matthew
The topic of evangelism has always been a common (sometimes cliche) theme of every believer. From the day we become a Christian, we are mobilised to be this gospel-sharing Christian that churns out new converts. However, truth be told, it is easier said than done. While it is hard enough to share the gospel with our friends or colleagues, the challenge increases when it comes to sharing our faith with family members. This article will look at some of these challenges and provide a guide that will hopefully assist us as we share the gospel with our family members.
#1 Close Relationship
Sometimes being in a close and good family relationship is both a blessing and a hindrance to the gospel. The blessing is that the relationship is close and one feels secure enough to be himself or herself with their family members. There is a good and healthy mode of communication and everyone respects one another. But, the hindrance can also be found in these points mentioned above. While communication may be open, you may find yourself increasingly isolated if you do bring up the topic of Christianity, especially if you are the sole believer in the family. And while there is a healthy respect for each other’s views, you can be viewed as the “disrespectful” one the moment you start sharing the gospel and encouraging them to believe in Jesus.
So, under such circumstances, what should a person do? One way to overcome such barriers is to find one person in the family that is particularly open to conversing with you about your Christian faith. As you approach the conversation, think of ways in which you can bring across the message of the gospel, and the need for Christ in everyone’s life, in a manner that is persuasive, yet engaging. I always find the method of persuasion and dialogue easier, compared to comparing religions especially when trying to share the gospel with family members. At the end of the day, we must also know when to speak and when to stop. Reading the room is important when sharing Christ to our family. If we continue to speak of our
faith when everyone is not wanting to listen, this can easily paint us as being “pushy” or “disrespectful” and may shut the door.
#2 Uber-Religious Family
One area of evangelism in the Malaysian context is our religious settings. Malaysia is quite a religious nation, with 97.9% of Malaysians practising or holding on to religions of some sort.1 Within the 97.9%, it is interesting to note that 19.8% are Buddhists, the second-largest religious group in Malaysia, next to Islam (61.3%). Understandably, as Christians, most of us will have parents, siblings, and relatives who are Buddhists or Taoists. And while some might simply be “practitioners” of Buddhism or Taoism, there will be a handful of Uber- religious worshippers. For such persons, this is the only religion that makes sense, and anyone that tries to convince them otherwise are viewed as “hostile” or “enemy” of their religion. In such a setting, the confrontation aspect of evangelism certainly can happen if not done right. In order to avoid heated confrontation or arguments which actually lead us nowhere, Christians attempting to share the faith in such settings must first and foremost uphold their family members in prayer. Prayer is powerful, prayer can soften hearts, but apart from praying for your family members, pray for yourself. Pray that the Holy Spirit will assist you in speaking the right words. Also pray that the Holy Spirit will grant you a spirit of discernment and wisdom in discerning the right moment to start this conversation about the gospel. Finally, when the praying is done, you simply need to start sharing Christ to them. A good tip when evangelising to the Uber-religious is to bridge the gap from one particular religion to Christianity. Find points of similarity, but, never fail to point out the necessity of Christ and the exclusiveness of salvation through Christ, whenever you can.
#3 Broken Relationships
Not every family has strong bonds and some of us are in broken family relationships. Yet, when one experiences the transformation of Christ, we most definitely will want to share it with our family members. Under such circumstances, how do we do it? First of all, broken relationships comes in many forms. Divorce, conflicts, arguments, dysfunctional family, lack of communication are all some examples of contributors to a broken family system. However, not all is lost. But, this certainly can pose a challenge, when it comes to sharing Christ under such internal pressures.
Well, instead of starting off with the gospel, it is good that we first mend the broken relationships. As a Christian, we are called to live in peace, not just for the sake of sharing the gospel, but as a means of bringing God’s love to the world. The process of repairing and healing broken relationships are equally as important as sharing the gospel. And though it may take time, or even hurt a little, it is good to deal with the exact causes of broken relationships so that the family peace can once again be restored. Under such situations, pray that God will move throughout the process of reconciliation and healing. When broken relationships are mended, it paves the way for evangelism to take place.
Conclusion
Evangelism is not easy, but it is a necessity. Every believer needs to see the spiritual needs of people around them and actively bring the gospel to these people. My prayer is that whatever family situation you are presently in right now, God will work in the hearts of your family members to bring about a conviction towards the truth. May you be empowered and emboldened to continue to share the simple gospel that “Jesus saves” to all people!
1. https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-report-on-international-religious-freedom/malaysia/