“I Hate Evangelism”

By Danny Chua

“I hate evangelism” (or “I hate being told to share the good news of Jesus!”). Have you ever felt that way? I have. To be more honest, I feel that a little too often every now and then.

“I hate being told to share the good news of Jesus” – those are words many of us probably never imagine we’d say aloud. But those are sentiments and feelings we sometimes find ringing true in our hearts. Maybe some of those guilt-laden emotions get tingled that bit more each year around Christmas time, as we get reminded of Christmas services, Christmas messages, Christmas outreaches etc. 

But “I hate having to share the good news of Jesus!” would have been a strange thought to the various people involved on that very first Christmas night. Especially the very first recipients of the angelic pronouncement of the Saviour’s birth – the good, old shepherds.

Do you remember what happened? After generations of Adam’s descendants and Abraham’s children waited for thousands of years for that one offspring, that one son, the saviour… Finally…

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11)

Don’t miss that. The Christmas message of the Saviour’s birth is “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” “Good news” – where the word evangelism comes from… “Good news” is itself the basis, ground and heart of an announcement worth announcing.

Brothers and sisters, often, when we feel those tinges of fear or even a burdensome weight of dread when “evangelism” enters the conversation… Isn’t it because we’ve somehow lost a wonder of that “good news” of the Saviour’s birth?

This means “great joy” might not be the best description of what some of us – believers for many years –  know and experience when we hear of the Saviour’s birth. Worse, we might even feel bad, a little paiseh that we don’t overflow with the great joy that those shepherds burst with, or other Christians seem to exude.

What do we do then? How can we get ourselves out of this rut of cold hearts and weary attitudes towards the Saviour’s birth? For one, we need help – and there’s nothing wrong with crying out to our God “fill me again with great joy and wonder when I behold the Saviour’s birth, Lord!” He delights in refreshing our souls.

At the same time, this December, as the Advent Series on the nativity narrative unfolds through Luke’s Gospel, as you turn up among the many who have returned to church after months or years away, as you sit in the pews in the midst of hope-seeking folks who have lived their lives in darkness…

Would you come and listen to the Christmas message of the Saviour’s birth anew? Would you open your hands and hearts to receive afresh good news of great joy?

For it is even for struggling, tired ones such as us that the Saviour was born.