“If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.” (Ecclesiastes 10:10)
The vivid imagery Solomon uses when writing Ecclesiastes is compelling. Imagine for a second an enthusiastic lumberjack hacking away on one tree after another with brute force, only to accomplish a mediocre day of logging because he had been using a dull ax. Though he found some measure of success through strength, we would consider him foolish; and compared to the potential of what he could have accomplished, it is hard to imagine that any of us would consider him a successful lumberjack at all.

Abraham Lincoln, the great fourteenth President of the United States, once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” This is another way of saying the more common, modern-day expression, “Work smarter and not harder.” The idea of this concept conveys the importance of being strategic, or sharp, to accomplish a desired task. As disciples, we often embrace the idea that hard work is needed to win souls. (Proverbs 14:23, I Corinthians 3:8) But how often do we sharpen our ax? How often do we work on becoming more skillful in our craft of fishing for men, so that less strength or work is actually needed? Or better yet, so that in combining our hard work with more skill, we can save even more souls! I have compiled the following “Ten Commandments of Sharing Your Faith” over my time as a disciple, and from being in the full ministry as an Evangelist. I have found these ten principles and practicals to be incredibly effective in winning souls! (Daniel 12:3)

Temi shares powerfully at his baptism during the Campus Summer Retreat!

I. Thou Shalt Never Leave Your “Wingman”

Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two. (Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1) There is a reason for this. First off, “Two are better than one.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9) With a “wingman” present, we are typically bolder. Also, it is easier for us not to become discouraged or lazy with another disciple present. But there’s another reason. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20) God’s presence is in His Kingdom, and His Kingdom can be defined as where two or more are gathered. Therefore, in having a fellow disciple with you, you are sharing much more than just your faith – you are actually proclaiming God’s Kingdom. (Acts 28:31) This dynamic cannot exist for a lone disciple. So then, even if two disciples split up and share their faith, they will accomplish less separately than they would have together.

II. Thou Shalt Never Apologize For Stopping Someone

This is a hard habit to break, since we are typically working so hard on being kind as disciples. Not to mention, we are also Canadian; which means we are very apologetic in general. So it is common for us to say something along the lines of, “Hey, sorry to bother you. My name is…” But there are two reasons we should never apologize for stopping someone. First, we’re not actually sorry. Saying your sorry when you’re not actually sorry is disingenuous, and being unauthentic isn’t going to win anyone to Christ.
Secondly, how could you honestly believe that you have the answer to every serious problem in someone’s life, and then apologize for sharing it with them. To tell someone you are sorry for bothering them means that you don’t really believe what you have to offer is valuable enough to inconvenience them. We have to remember that what we are offering people through the gospel is worth selling everything for. (Matthew 13:44-46) This makes us unapologetic about stopping anyone!

III. Thou Shalt Always Compliment

You may have heard it said, “A little compliment goes a long way.” It’s true! Just think about how natural it is to respond to someone who gives you a compliment. Even if someone is having a rough day, it is hard to refuse an awesome compliment coming from another person with a warm smile. As Solomon said, “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” (Proverbs 12:25)

Thanks to Will, the brothers reclaimed the title in The Manly Games!

IV. Thou Shalt Not Have A Spiel

What’s a “spiel?” As defined by the dictionary, a spiel is high-flown talk or speech, especially for the pur-pose of luring people to something. In other words, it is a pre-prepared or pre-rehearsed pitch. A disciple’s spiel may sound something like this, “Hi, my name is Evan. I am a part of an awesome, non-denominational Christian Church. We have services every Sunday at 10:00 am, and I would love for you to come and join us. Would you be interested?” Not only is a spiel unnatural and awkward, but in our consumer driven world it inadvertently reduces what we have to offer to a worldly product or promotion. We are not vacuum salesmen. We are not party promoters. We are ambassadors for Christ. (II Corinthians 5:20) Would an ambassador of a country have pre-rehearsed spiel when going to another country to negotiate peace, or would they use their God-given interpersonal skills to develop rapport and engage them in a productive conversation? As disciples, we can be even more bold in our conversations with others, understanding that God will give us exactly what we need to say! (Matthew 10:19)

To be continued…

Evan Bartholomew