While we, as one church, ramp up our efforts to spread the gospel across our nation, I’ve been reflecting on my own evangelism. 

Oh, but what if I preach and they don’t believe? What if I can’t bear their rejections—or I lose their friendship?

But what if they do believe? Why do I worry about an imagined outcome that I cannot control, instead of focusing on what I can control: actually sharing the gospel?

Colossians 1 reminds me that so much is in God’s hands. Focusing on my worries so much in preaching takes away from the might of God’s gospel. 

After all, it is the gospel that points people to Christ. 

It is God who qualifies anyone to share in the heavenly inheritance. 

And it is God who delivers anyone from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (Col 1:13-14). 

Having first received these miracles ourselves, we proclaim it. We believers are also recipients of the gospel’s power: “indeed in the whole world [the gospel] is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you” (Col 1:6 ESV, with my emphasis). 

To boldly share the gospel and this opportunity to know Christ, then, is to be like what Epaphras is: a “fellow servant” and “faithful minister of Christ” (Col 1:7). Faithfulness is to persist despite the obstacles, even when the obstacles are ourselves.

Additionally, our preaching is made more powerful when it also come from love. This isn’t just an ordinary love, but love driven by heavenly hope—for ourselves and for others (Col 1:5). When we love people’s souls, we are strengthened us to endure all things to support their faith, just as Jesus and Paul suffered for the sake of souls (Col 1:24). 

Paul earnestly poured his heart into faithfully loving God and man, God worked powerfully in him:

“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” (Col 1:28-29)

With this, I encourage myself: I’ll work to present the souls entrusted to me as mature in Christ, beginning with myself. With God working in me, what do I have to fear? Whatever happens as I proclaim the gospel, God is the mighty one who saves—and so I can rejoice (Col 1:24).