Fear Of Bravery
“Jesus didn’t come to make us safe. He came to make us brave.” I heard Gary Haugen (President, International Justice Mission) say this at the Leadership Summit this year, and it made me cringe a little. I am a huge fan of taking risks, stepping out of the boat, not missing the adventure by playing it safe.
“Don’t go on the journey and miss the adventure.” That was how Haugen said it in his message, and I wanted to stand up and yell, “YOU GO BOY!”
In Doable Evangelism, however, we teach some principles that seem to be contrary to this idea of bravery and adventure. We actually tell people they don’t have to be brave to get in the game of evangelism. In fact, our little spiritual practices, which we call “ordinary attempts”, don’t require much at all in the way of bravery.
Did Jesus come to make us brave, as Gary said? Is Doable Evangelism really just about playing it safe? I mean, Paul told Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Tim. 1:7) And then in the very next verse, “So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.”
I would respectfully suggest that although Jesus certainly didn’t come to make us safe, his purpose in coming was not to make us all brave, either. He expects us to obediently follow his lead, no matter how scary that might look, trusting him for the outcome. This practice of trusting him tends to increase our sense of bravery, but we usually call that “faith”. Also, I’d suggest that Paul’s counsel to Timothy about not having a spirit of fear or timidity needs to be taken in the context of the use of his spiritual gift (verses 5-7). And being ashamed to tell others about our Lord (v.8) can be quite different than being afraid to do so.
Fear is normal. People who are completely fearless are usually mentally ill…and dangerous. Even Jesus was afraid sometimes (I’d argue that sweating drops of blood suggests he might have been a little afraid in the Garden of Gesthemene, for example).
It has been said that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to function in the face of it. Or as the cowboy philosopher, John Wayne, once said:
“Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway.”
For the most part Christians have been exhorted to be braver, bolder, and more aggressive to effectively engage in evangelism. We have held up the dramatic stories of the uber-brave missionary and the radically courageous evangelist as the bar over which everyone must jump to be “successful.”
And the reason you’re not doing evangelism? The answer comes in lots of ways, but basically it’s the same tune over and over: You’re afraid to risk anything for Jesus. You don’t understand how much he did for YOU. You aren’t grateful enough, serious enough, committed enough or spiritual enough. You’re ashamed of the Gospel, ashamed of Jesus. Or as one of our more recent critics offered, “You’re not man enough.” (I loved that one) The bottom line is always that the problem is YOU.
What if, for you, being brave amounted to just paying attention to people? What if being brave wasn’t about walking across the room, but just watching across the room? Or maybe just showing up in the room? That would in fact require some amount of bravery for most ordinary Christians in America, but not more than is doable.
We know that when ordinary Christians practice these kind of very doable attempts at evangelism (such as noticing, praying, listening), they feel encouraged, empowered, and inspired. Suddenly people all around them, who they never even noticed before, MATTER to them in a way they can’t explain. They very often end up in ordinary conversations with people, and because of that (very often) those people find them safe enough to ask for a reason for the hope that lies within them (1Peter 3:15). By then, though, that ordinary Christian has become a little more brave. Their original fears have been tamed or destroyed altogether by participating (in ordinary, doable and fun ways) in what Jesus is doing in people all around them.
In one of my favorite movies, “What About Bob?”, the psychiatrist’s advice for people (like Bob) who are overwhelmed by fear is to take “baby steps,” which is the title of his book. If it helps, think about Doable Evangelism as overcoming evangelism fear with baby steps. Just do what’s doable, and see what happens.
August 28th, 2008 · 10 Comments
Categories: OA Stories
Helen said
am August 28 2008 @ 4:39 pm
Randy, reading this it occurred to me that Doable Evangelism says “Do what you’re already doing i.e. what comes naturally and what you enjoy – just be a bit more intentional about it” and Traditional Evangelism says “Do something that’s not natural”.
And doing what’s unnatural in front of others always takes a lot more courage than what’s natural.
Maybe that’s one reason Doable Evangelism doesn’t require so much courage as Traditional Evangelism.
I love the Baby Steps idea from What About Bob? – isn’t that an awesome concept? I also loved how Bob took his fish on vacation. Very cool
Jeney said
am September 1 2008 @ 2:47 am
I really enjoyed reading this!
I have stayed up too late this evening reading the blogs of other people who are following Jesus. Such a big family we have – complete with the crazy aunts (which I may just be).
After all the reading has been done, I think I fall somewhere in the middle of all I’ve read. Doable Evangelism (love that!) is certainly the most used method for me. Like the commenter above said – it takes longer to be unnatural than to be natural. And it is uncomfortable for everyone involved if I am being unnatural – or not authentic – in my approach.
Of course, there are many times when I step outside my comfort zone to tell someone about Jesus. Many, many times. But what compels me to do this *is* natural for me. The act: Sometimes scary. The need to do it anyway: Overpowering.
I suppose we all just need to take it case by case and do what we believe is best each time, huh?
Now: Off to read more of your blog.
Randy said
am September 4 2008 @ 6:37 pm
Thanks, Jeney, for your kind comments.
Yep…that’s what we mean by “do what’s doable.” And what is doable varies from person to person, just as what is normal or authentic. It is very doable, normal and authentic for me to sit for a couple hours in a pub with guys who like to watch football (but who do not like church). This would not be normal, authentic or doable for a lot of folks.
Paul said
am September 10 2008 @ 6:46 pm
Hey enjoyed your post
I think it’s interesting and scary to note the first ones to get thrown into the lake of fire in Revelations are the cowards.
Kind of a sobering thought but it’s essential for Christians today to boldly stand for God and boldly love people. I’m glad somebody had enough courage to witness to me years ago and I pray I would walk in that same courage
Paul
Randy said
am September 10 2008 @ 7:38 pm
Thanks, Paul.
Maybe you could help me out here. Where in Revelations are you referring to when you mention this:
Paul said
am September 10 2008 @ 8:36 pm
Hey Randy
That scripture is
Rev. 21:8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving,abominable,murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
That was the New King James translation
Paul
Randy said
am September 10 2008 @ 8:50 pm
Thank you.
Do you understand this to mean that there is an ordering of groups of people who go into the lake of fire?
And, I presume, you think that “cowardly” here refers to Christians who are not brave (in particular re: evangelism)?
And it’s pretty much the same in the NIV, btw.
Paul said
am September 10 2008 @ 9:16 pm
I’m not sure if there will be an ordering of groups or if one group is worse than the other.
I believe the prior verse 7 says he who overcomes shall inherit all things…..and than vs. 8 starts off with but the cowardly as if to suggest the cowards are the opposite of the overcomer.
I don’t believe it’s speaking necessarily about Christians re: evangelism.
I just think maybe we don’t view being cowardly as a sin or unbelief for that matter…as they are clearly listed with what most would consider more vile
Randy said
am September 10 2008 @ 10:54 pm
I guess that makes sense, context-wise. If you don’t believe the cowardly are necessarily Christians (or that this is evangelistic cowardice), who do you think it’s referring to? Is it, in light of the context you’ve explained, those who simply do not “overcome”…perhaps because they chickened out rather than trusted God in the heat of things?
I don’t think cowardice is listed anywhere else as a sin, nor is unbelief as far as I can recall. The rest of the list seems pretty standard fare, though. I wonder if these two issues aren’t about something more significant than they appear at first glance? And clearly the more common “sins” listed here are being spoken of in a fairly sweeping manner (ALL liars, for example, would mean virtually EVERYONE who ever lived). Grace and forgiveness and mercy have to be part of this equation, though not expressed in this one passage. We must assume the character of God, which includes grace and mercy, will not change in this particular moment, but will be part of it.
Revelations always gives me a headache…
Paul said
am September 10 2008 @ 11:19 pm
Good thoughts.
I guess cowardice and unbelief are many times what realy keeps people from becoming christians anyway.
And also what keeps many christians from walking in all that God has for us to walk in. Thank God for grace and mercy or we’d all be in trouble and without hope