When God saves us, we’re given an incredible stewardship. We are to carry the single greatest message of hope for all the world to the nations. God has mobilized his people to do this very thing throughout human history. One huge example of that from the Old Testament is Jonah.

The only problem is that Jonah resisted God’s mission for him with everything he had. As we read Jonah this week, I began thinking about all the obstacles that get in the way of us sharing the Gospel. Most of the time, we think of obstacles as external things, but I find that the primary obstacles to evangelism are internal. While many exist, I suggest four primary obstacles below with the first two coming from Jonah’s story, and the last two from personal experience.

Obstacles to sharing our faith:

1. A Perceived Offense (and/or Elitism)– Jonah has no desire to share a message of hope with the people of Nineveh. They have been an antagonist to the people of Israel for some time at this point, and he wants nothing to do with them. How many of us allow grudges against particular people or whole people groups from faithfully sharing the Gospel? Maybe we don’t intentionally avoid them, but are we allowing our pride to keep us from humbly sharing the Gospel?

2. A Compassion Shortage – Often, the root of the above obstacle is a lack of compassion. We likely don’t even realize it or would never put it in those terms. The Gospel is the message of hope for humanity. Apart from a saving faith in Jesus, no one will experience eternal life. If we have been given this tremendous gift to steward, and we don’t, I think we have to ask: do we really have compassion for the lost? Or are we like Jonah, self-centered and self-consumed?

3. A Desire for Man’s Approval – Nothing in Jonah gives us an indication that this was a struggle, but I know that I often shrink back from sharing the Gospel due to fear of offending others or a concern of what they might think of me. Certainly, offending others is a possibility when the Gospel is shared… Jesus said it would happen. But the risk is worth the reward. Consider the fact that the payoff of someone hearing and receiving the Gospel is an eternity with Jesus (an infinite good), then the risk of momentary offense or a loss of esteem seems incredibly small—infinitesimal—in the end.

4. A Lack of Confidence – Finally, we often lack confidence. I know I do. Will I have the right words? Will I get asked a question I can’t answer? What if I say something wrong? These questions will paralyze us. The core problem, though, is less confidence in ourselves, and actually is a lack of confidence in God. Certainly, we should get equipped and seek preparation, but God promises to give boldness and words to respond when asked to defend our faith. So the question is: Do we trust that our God is big enough to work through even our weak attempts to share the Gospel?

In the end, we will always be tempted to avoid evangelism, but may we be a people that push those obstacles to the side and share our faith for the good of humanity and the glory of God.