One reason that we're so reluctant to evangelize is because we believe that evangelism is...imposing ourselves on others and leaving people cowering, feeling unimportant, used, and violated. We equated evangelism with selling. We see ourselves like those annoying phone solicitors who always seem to call us when we're sitting down to dinner! For this reason many of us run from anything that resembles evangelism. To have the gift of evangelism, it seems, you either need to have the personality of a used-car salesman or the capability to lead someone to Christ while in the 10-items-or-less lane at your local supermarket. If this is what you believe evangelism requires, I can't blame you for not wanting to evangelize...Sharing your faith doesn't impose itself on others, leaving them feeling resentful and used. It invites people to step beyond a superficial friendship where no one really cares about listening, and to head toward deep spiritual relationship.
John Leonard, Get Real: Sharing Your Every Day Faith Every Day
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