I have a memory that changed my life.
I remember one time I was praying about how to witness to people. I wondered if God want us to witness all the time, etc.
And my family was watching a Little House on the Prairie episode where the two teen girls were making friends with a grumpy old neighbor.
The neighbor had rejected God out out bitterness of losing his wife. And the two girls did not witness to him for a long time. Instead, they showed up and acted like neighbors. They helped him with things and kept him company. After many months had past, an opportunity arose and they were able to place a Bible in a little spot in a tree for man. The gift was welcome and received as a gift of love. It was a beautiful thing.
God does not want us to witness under pressure. He wants us to wait until the timing is right and the moment is beautiful.
God does not want us to witness under guilt or obligation. He wants us to wait until an opportunity arises. And when it does, the witnessing will be welcomed and perceived as an act of love.
A lot of times we don't need to worry about witnessing because the opportunity is just not there. For example, at some peop's work, their coworkers don't want to hear about God. There is no opportunity at that point. In order to witness to those people, you would have to wait for that opportunity. For example, you would have to wait until you got to know them a lot better, and were for example, camping around a fire, and everyone was talking about God and open to the conversation. However, that conversation, can't really happen at work.
We need to take the pressure off of witnessing. I remember being at the store, and I met a young man who was basically shaking with nervousness. As time went on, I could tell that he had made up his mind that he was going to witness to somebody, because he felt like he had to. He started up a conversation with me, but only because he wanted a lead-in to share the gospel, even though it was clear he didn't really want to share, but only felt obligated too.
We were in the middle of grocery store, my husband came back later and was wondering why this young man was talking to me so much. And it was not an effective witness at all.
Of course, that didn't matter, because I am already a Christian. But I have always regretted not talking to him about what I learned long ago. I really believe that God does not put us under pressure to witness. The Bible says to "make the most of every opportunity" (Ephesians 5:16).
But if there's no opportunity, don't worry about it
We also don't have to witness in a way that makes other people upset.
I Peter 3:15 says, "Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope [...] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect."
So you need to take the pressure off yourself. God has everybody covered anyway. The OCD will want to make us feel pressured to witness all the time, but that's not good. Just focus on loving people, right where you're at. And if opportunity arises, you can take it, but only do it at the moment is beautiful, and God is in it. And if that opportunity never arises, don't worry about it.
:):)
