We often hear the phrase that someone had a “come to Jesus” moment. This usually means they were confronted with a reality and had to make a decision about how they were going to live in light of that reality. People may use this phrase about many serious or silly things, but as believers, we truly want to help others to come to Jesus in a way that’s meaningful and life-giving. But how do we do that?
What Does it Mean to Come to Jesus?
First, it may help to define what we mean when we as believers say “come to Jesus.” Jesus Himself invited people: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). As his followers, we are invited to join Jesus in inviting others into his rest, saying to others: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). We want them to experience the joy of being near Jesus. Here are ten ways that you can practically help others come to Jesus:
10 Ways to Help Others Come to Jesus
1. Grow in your own relationship with Jesus.
The number one way to help others come to Jesus is to grow in your own relationship with Jesus. As you get to know Him better, you’ll be changed by Him and your life will radiate His joy. If he’s not a peripheral character in your life but the central relationship in your life, it will become natural for you to speak about Him in your daily interactions. You won’t have to force spiritual conversations (that never works well!), but you will become a spiritual person whose conversations organically reflect that reality.
2. Share your own story.
As you get to know other people, telling your own story is a normal thing to do. Give some thought to how you tell that story, giving Jesus his rightful place as your Redeemer, Savior, Friend, Change-Agent, and King. Just as you wouldn’t leave out key players in your story such as your parents or your spouse, don’t leave Jesus out of the narrative of your life when you are sharing it with someone else. As you share his positive influence on the course of your life, it is likely to draw others closer to Him.
3. Process your own struggles openly with hope.
Knowing Jesus doesn’t mean that our lives become problem-free, but it does mean that we never face our problems alone. Be open with those you know about the challenges of your life, but also be open about the comfort and help Jesus’ presence brings to you in the midst of those challenges. This is walking out your faith in real time, and it is both pleasing to God and attractive to others.
4. Memorize the Word of God.
When God’s Word is in your heart, not simply on the pages of the Bible, it means that it will be naturally woven into your everyday conversation. It becomes part of the warp and woof of your very being, unable to be separated from you. When you talk about Jesus, it will be from a place of integrity, because Jesus and His Words are literally a part of you. This integrity is something that draws others toward Jesus, while it’s opposite--hypocrisy--drives them away.
5. Consider your character.
Related to number 4, as you internalize the Word of God, ask Him to remove any hypocrisy from you, following the example of the Psalmist in Psalm 139:23-24:
"Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."
It doesn’t matter what you say when your life contradicts your words. Though we will never be perfect in this life, living from a place of integrity and listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit should produce His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our lives to the point that people will get a taste of who Jesus when they see who we are.
6. Share your gratitude.
As you draw nearer and nearer to Jesus yourself, you’ll become more and more aware of His good gifts to you. Verbalize your thankfulness in your conversations, expressing gratitude for big things and little things. Be known as a grateful person and express who you believe is the source of all that is good: “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17).
7. Truly care about them.
Jesus said: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:12-13). Ask God to give you true love for others and to show you ways to care for them, not just occasionally but consistently, being a faithful presence in their lives just as Jesus is a faithful presence in yours. Your love can be an echo of Jesus’ love, which you pray that they will come to know, too.
8. Pray with and for them.
Praying for others to come to know Jesus seems so simple, but it can be often overlooked when we seek more action-oriented pointers that feel like we’re doing more. But prayer is our connection with the very One who we hope our friends will come to know, asking Him to introduce Himself to them through us or through some other means. We can and should pray for our friends in private, but we can also tell them we will pray for them when they share something challenging in their lives, we can ask if they would like us to pray for them right then, and we can follow up with them on the matters we were praying about, asking how things are going. All of this, if not done in a pushy manner, communicates care and keeps the door open for further spiritual conversations down the road.
9. Invite them to read the Bible with you.
Many people have never had a clear opportunity to read the Bible with someone who has studied it before. Many have never read it because it seems intimidating. Many people are curious about Jesus and would be open to reading the Bible in an exploratory or investigative way if asked. Prayerfully consider asking a friend to read the Bible with you, perhaps one of the Gospels which tell the story of Jesus’ life and ministry, with the purpose of answering the question: “Who was Jesus?” This Bible study can be informal and simply based on reading a chapter and discussing it, or you can use a prepared simple investigative Bible study such as the one found here.
10. Ask good questions.
Be willing to listen more than you talk in your relationship with your friends. To introduce Jesus, we don’t need to be always lecturing or taking the lead. Instead, we can follow his example by being perceptive and asking good questions that get to the heart of people and their motivations, desires, fears, and dreams. Some example questions that might come up in the course of your conversation might be: “What do you think makes a good person?” “How do you know what you know?” What do you think is your reason for being on this earth?” Asking these questions is not supposed to be a test for your friend. Rather, asking questions like these humbly sets the stage to have a mutually beneficial conversation about where each of you is with regard to thinking through these questions. And it gives you an authentic space to share how the answers you’ve found have filled you with comfort, purpose, and joy. For more good questions to ask, check out The "Seven Essential Questions of Life" by Dr. David Cashin.
As those who have come to know Jesus, we deeply desire for others to know Him as well. Not to know about Him as we know about many historical figures, but to know Him personally as a Savior, Healer, Friend, and King. There are many ways that we can help others to come to know Him, but they all stem from knowing Him more deeply ourselves.
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