The F Factor

The F factor was powerfully brought to my attention at a Diocesan Laity Conference a year ago. Present were 210 lay Christians exploring the theme, 'Being a Christian@Work'. We split into 14 groups to discuss, 'What stops you sharing your faith?' Every group came back with the same one-word answer - fear - the F factor. It's fear of:

Getting it wrong
Not having the answers
Having to address the question of suffering
Failure
Humiliation
What others might think

So what do we do with the F factor in our lives?
Do we decide that fear justifies us not doing anything? 'Let's just leave it to the confident ones, I'm the wrong personality type...'
Do we, as Susan Jeffers' book title says, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway?
Do we rush in and get it all wrong, demonstrating to ourselves and others that our fears were justified?

Or is there another way?

I wouldn't be writing this article if I didn't think there was a better way. My strategy is summarised by four Ps: Purpose, Preparation, Prayer, and Presence.

Purpose

Why bother? Why put ourselves through the anguish of witnessing? Why not just leave it to someone else? Good questions if we consider this world only.

If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (1 Cor 15:32).

Evangelism only makes sense in the context of eternity. Let me ask you:
What do you believe about heaven and hell?
How do these beliefs affect you day to day?
Do you care about the lost?

I am struck by the fact that Jesus spoke a lot about hell - and always to his followers. He didn't use it as a threat to non-believers, but as a motivation to godliness and witness for believers.

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him" (Luke 12:4-5).

A new take on the F factor? I think so. The thought that I might be responsible if one of my friends died without knowing Christ was very convicting for me in my early 20s. God planted a fear in me that is greater than my fear of witnessing - the fear that those I know and love will go to hell. It's a fear that pushes me beyond my comfort zone, and motivates me to speak.

Take Iris. Iris was the training co-ordinator for a large IT company where I conducted a series of courses. I grew to value her greatly over the months we worked together. Her favourite swear words were 'Jesus Christ', but I was reticent in saying anything for fear of upsetting our friendship.

Then, Iris announced her retirement. In God's wonderful provision, I was conducting training for her company on her final day. I came to the course with a twofold retirement gift: a box of Thornton's chocolates and a book by Michael Green called Jesus, which starts with the words, 'For many people Jesus is just a swear word' (Subtlety was never my strong point!). I explained to Iris that the trainer in me wanted her to know more about a name she often used. A week or so later, I received this:

What is the purpose of witnessing? The same purpose for which Jesus came and died:

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Preparation

Jesus was a trainer - he taught his disciples, he modelled good practice, he set them practical exercises, and he debriefed them afterwards. And he didn't expect them to get everything right!

If you or I wanted to learn to drive, we would employ a driving instructor. If we wanted to learn how to sail, we would go on a course, read books, or be coached by someone who knows how - we wouldn't just launch a boat into the sea, set sail and hope for the best. Why is it then, that when the only agenda Jesus left us with is to make disciples, we don't learn how to do it?

J.John, one of the foremost UK evangelists, surveyed 1000 evangelical churches and found that only 4% have held any training in witnessing and evangelism in the last five years. No wonder we are afraid - we don't know how to do it! There are some great courses out there, like CPAS's 'Lost for Words' and J.John's 'Calling Out', that are designed with the fearful in mind. Courses like these help us share our stories and learn how to invite people to events where they will hear more. Let's ask our church leaders to run one! We can also equip ourselves through self-study using books like Michael Green's Evangelism for Amateurs.

As Christians and as Church, we need to take training seriously.

Prayer

The minute we start to witness, we enter a spiritual battle, and it is a battle we need to take seriously. We have an enemy, the devil, who does not want to see people saved. And he will attack. Sometimes the opposition is human, but whatever the source, Nehemiah 4 is a great case study on the kind of opposition we may encounter. Firstly, there's ridicule and insults (Neh 4:1-3); then, disillusionment and tiredness (Neh 4:10); thirdly, plotting and covert attacks (Neh 4:11); and finally, fear (Neh 4:12).

How to respond? Look at the model of the Israelites:

In response to ridicule and insults, they prayed (Neh 4:4-5,9). To fend off disillusionment and tiredness, they kept watch (Neh 4:9). To face plots and covert attacks, they armed themselves (Neh 4:13, 16, 18, 21). The weapons of faith, the gospel, salvation and truth are powerful indeed (Eph 6:10-20). In response to fear, they exercised faith: 'Our God will fight for us!' (Neh 4:20).

This is not a call for more prayer meetings, valuable though they are; but a call to more personal intercession for the lost, and to prayerfully support each other. I know that as people have prayed for me, I have been given opportunities to witness that have surprised me. And, similarly, as I have prayed, God has also opened doors.

I was conducting a series of courses for a large communications company. To convey management commitment to the course content, a senior manager attended each course. One of them, Jan - a very laid-back Dutchman - was particularly supportive, and attended six of the four day courses. I wanted to speak to Jan about Christ, but was afraid - I didn't know how to start. And so I prayed. A little while later, Jan arrived at one of the courses with a gift for me - a mug on which were the words 'The European Interoperability Lab'. He explained that this was the last course he would be attending as he was transferring to the EI Lab; hence the gift. Spontaneously, I exclaimed, 'I don't have a gift for you' and then, without thinking, I picked up the 'Why Jesus?' booklet he had seen me use as part of my introduction to each course. I signed it with love and gave it to him. He sat there and read it. God answered my prayers.

Presence

Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt 28:18-19).

We are not alone - Jesus, through his Holy Spirit, is with us.

Using the concordance at the back of my Bible, I studied the word 'afraid' and was struck by the overwhelming number of times God addresses our fears with the promise of his presence and his equipping. For example, in Genesis 26: 24 he says to Jacob: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you" (Gen 26:24).

In Exodus, he encouraged Moses: 'I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.' In Deuteronomy 1:28-29 he encourages the nation: "do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you" (Deut 1:28-29). In Psalm 56, David express his trust in God's faithfulness: "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." So does Isaish in 12:2 - "I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." And Jeremiah - "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you" (Jer 1:8).

Similarly, Jesus encourages the despairing Jairus: "Don't be afraid, just believe" (Mark 5:36); and his disciples on the eve of his death: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). So, too, the writer to the Hebrews re-affirms God's Old Testament promises:
'"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Heb 13:6).

We need the strength to face our fears as we follow Christ's commission to make disciples. We can find the strength we need through:

Understanding the purpose of witnessing - saving people from hell
Being prepared and trained
Being prayerful as we engage in a spiritual battle, and
Being confident of God's presence with us.

For each of us, my prayer is that our F factor should not be fear, but faith - faith in the one true and living God who commissions us, equips us, protects us and goes with us into his world. Amen.

Beverley Shepherd

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