In the passage most famously known as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes His followers as the light of the world. In the same passage, Jesus commands us to shine our light before others in such a way that they praise our Father in heaven. There are many passages that have this same concept of shining our light into this broken world.
I remember when I was in college it wasn’t easy to share my faith. Not because I wasn’t concerned about the eternal state of others, I lacked a passion for Christ, nor because I didn’t desire to shine my light. Looking back, I can see it was because I had a narrow mind behind my approach. The picture in my mind was that you have to dig deep for the courage to ask some random person if they knew Jesus. While that is certainly one way people evangelize, I found this wasn’t the only way. But, also, I never took the time to be creative in shining my light.
Thinking about it now, there are so many ways to shine the light of the Gospel to people. Since we are on the Internet, and lists seem to travel faster through its tubes, here are five creative and non-street-preachy ways I found to share Christ with friends.
1. Write a personalized word of encouragement with a Bible verse to someone. Leave it in their mailbox or on their car. This makes them acutely aware that you are praying for them.
2. At the beginning and end of each semester, get a few of your friends to help students move in/out. When you are finished moving them in or packing them up, offer to pray for them and their upcoming semester/summer.
3. Donate an hour a week to a homework club at local high school or middle school. This is a huge opportunity to build relationships and influence those younger than you. By donating your time you can share your faith in word and deed.
4. Develop a night that is centered on foreign exchange students. Help them learn their way around campus, how to get around the area and the best spots to eat.
5. What do you and other Christian friends do during your downtime? Is it video games, movies, or binge-watching Lord of the Rings once a month? Whatever it is, invite someone who isn’t a Christian. You don’t have to preach, but seeing true fellowship and the interaction of believers is often enough to spur a conversation of eternal value.
While some of these are specific to a college setting, the principles apply to every stage of life. Jesus told us to go make disciples. He never said one way is better than another. It’s our job to be about the work of Christ in practical ways with dependence on Him. By the power of the Holy Spirit and Gospel-driven motives, your investment will hopefully change lives for the glory of God.
