Since the Lunar New Year is coming, Chinese Christians who work in other places are returning to their hometowns for the most important festival. During this time of the year, many believers who are with their families choose to preach the gospel to their non-Christian relatives. Some churches also put a high value on the Chinese new year evangelization and launches several trainings to equip their members for this time.
It's good to evangelize your families at this reunion time. However, paying attention to the following tips can help avoiding counter-productiveness.
First of all, don't deviate from the gospel in evangelization.
Many Christians are eager to share the good news with others after arriving home, while some only proclaim the beneficial parts including diseases healed and miracles performed, successful careers and excellent academic performance and turning the corner after conversions rather than preach the significance of Jesus Christ's salvation. The possible reason why they choose to preach such messages is the lack of correct understanding of Christian doctrine. They lower the eternal truth of life into some worldly teachings of regimen or earning money.
These kinds of testimonies attract people in rural areas and some of them convert to Christianity. But a number of people regard Christianity as another type of folk superstition that worships other god, a superficial faith, then stay away from it.
Actually the Lord wants us to witness his salvation instead of the benefits from the world. Jesus often spoke to those who were healed not to tell others for he didn't expect to build their faith on the worldly interests but on the eternal hope. Paul the apostle said, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Cor 2:2)
We should preach the meaning of Jesus Christ's salvation, the essence of the gospel, through which men can be saved. Any message stray from the message leads men to know little about the perfect truth and results in turning Christianity into a folk religion.
Secondly, don't show blind rejection of your family member's belief.
Many Chinese believe in Buddhism, Taoism and folk religions, so a large percentage of non-Christian families worships various gods and so do the relatives of many believers. Seeing their family relatives worship idols, a number of Christians beat their beliefs to death, but the criticizing words are off the point, generating aversions in their hearts. They become aloof from the gospel.
We should not only understand Christianity, but also have a basic knowledge of other religions before evangelization. When our relatives worship other gods, we shoud explain the differences of each religion to them and guide them patiently toward the truth rather than bash them.
What's more, it's convincing that talking and doing agree with each other.
Some who speak volubly about the gospel show bad behavior and struggle to witness the Lord in their daily life. Every move of Christians who are like ambassadors from the heaven affects what Jesus is like in the eyes of unbelievers more or less.
The fact that some people receive baptism and believe in the Lord while some turn their back on the gospel has much to do with the deeds of Christians.
(The author is a believer from Trinity Church of Longlangyu, Xiamen. )
Translated by Karen Luo
