During my six years in the military, I learned the key to good leadership: lead by example. In the same way, we can share our faith by evangelizing by example, and it can be one of the most powerful ways for us to share our faith.
Evangelization can be difficult. Witnessing our faith to someone can often put them on the defensive, and some people are simply not open to hearing what we have to say. When we run into these obstacles, should we stop trying to evangelize?
If our traditional efforts of sharing the faith do not work, we need to look to other methods. One method is to evangelize by example – letting your actions speak louder than your words. Sometimes, what you do can impact someone more greatly than what you say.
Long before I began writing and teaching on the faith, I was simply a guy in touch with my beliefs – nothing special. I went to church regularly, helped with the youth ministry, and participated in a few other minor ways. I was just your average Christian.
Outside of the church, everyone knew about my faith, but I rarely “preached” to anyone. I was not looking to offend people, so I simply avoided the subject. And without a degree in theology, I did not think that I was qualified to evangelize anyone in the first place.
One day, during my time in the military, a close friend asked if she could go to church with me that weekend. A few months later, another friend asked, as well. Over the next year, more of my friends and fellow soldiers joined us. Not once, however, had I ever tried to evangelize them.
God used the example that I was setting to touch the hearts of the people around me. It was not my writing, teaching, or other gifts that inspired them, as I use today; it was seeing the impact that Christ had on my life. Sometimes, we can make a difference simply by living the life that Christ wanted us to live.
Military leaders are taught to lead by example for good reason. We can say anything – but doing is much more difficult. When others see us practicing what we preach, they are more likely to follow. Our example can have a much greater impact than our words.
Have you told people about Christ’s love? What kind of impact has it had? It may not be going as well as you had hoped. On the other hand, have you shown them Christ’s love at work in your life? You might be amazed at what God can do through you.
When we let our example do the evangelization, we are letting God work through us. God will make a change in our lives and use it to bring about change in others. Our words can evangelize a few people at a time, but our example can evangelize the whole world around us.
You’re here, reading this blog today, because you want to become a New Evangelizer. Step one, my friends, is setting an example for others to see. It all begins with evangelizing by example.
Copyright © 2012, Chad R. Torgerson
Chad R. Torgerson
Chad R. Torgerson works as an IT Analyst for a Catholic publishing group. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and sharing his faith on his website, Waking Up Catholic, a guide to the Catholic RCIA process. and is also the Co-Founder of Assisi Media, a new Catholic publishing company focused on using new media to reach everyday Catholics. His new book, Waking Up Catholic, is available in eBook and paperback formats.
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