“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.” (John 10:4-6 NIV)

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3, 4 ESV)

How many people have been brought to Christ through nagging? How many have been baptized because their co-worker brow beat them over their lack of faith? How many people have chosen eternity in the arms of their Savior because mom and dad laid thick, suffocating guilt trips on them every Sunday when it was time to get ready and go to church? Need I go on?

How many Christians have been taught poor methods for discipling? How many have been told to just go get people and bring them to church with no other direction ever being given? How many Christians are worried sick over their known responsibility to witness but have been gripped by the fear of messing it up because no one has even shown them how to do it? Need I go on?

Here’s the simple answer: Jesus fixes all this.
Here’s the more involved answer: We must be willing to engage Him in order to see it done.

Jesus said that His sheep know His voice, and that we were to pick up our crosses, die to self and consider others as more important than ourselves, right? So, it stands to reason that if we go live like Jesus, die to self and simply live that out every day, that people will wind up seeing Jesus and hearing His call as a result, right?
In an overly simplistic way, yes.

We all know that witnessing and evangelism is going to be messy because it involves other human beings. We also know, if we are being honest with ourselves, that out own lives are often messy enough without trying to make them more so. But we cannot let the fear of what discipling means keep us from what we have been called to do. We cannot let our own messes keep us from helping someone else with their own.

Yes, living like Jesus will draw others to Him. Yes, if we spend each day concentrating on Him, living like He would, we won’t have to worry about ‘how’ we communicate the gospel, it will just naturally be happening all the time, and so when we go and speak with others, there will already be some ground work laid. And yes, when we mention we go to church, there should already be some expectation for that…not because we have been obvious and loud and obnoxious with our faith, but because every single day we have been faithfully emulating our shepherd. Jesus didn’t nag His sheep. He didn’t belittle or browbeat them. He voice of love and grace and mercy drew them in, just like it did for us.

So, yes, go live love. Go look and act and talk and smell like Jesus wherever He has you serve. Be the voice of grace and truth and serve others in a way that looks like a cross being carried for them. Again, that’s what Jesus did for us. GoLove and don’t worry so much. Live, speak and serve truth in love and trust that Jesus will work in you and through you.

Everyone already knows you’re not perfect. Just be perfectible, and show grace for others who need it, too.