One Sheep Counts: Sharing Your Faith Without Pushing People Away

Look for One Sheep

When it comes to online ministry, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. All you have to do is login to your favorite social media platform to realize there are millions of people online who are hungry and hurting. They need hope and they need to know that someone cares.

This is where it’s easy to believe the lies of the enemy that you’re just one person and you can’t possibly make a difference. But it’s important to keep in mind that Jesus left the ninety-nine sheep to seek the one.

Every single sheep is valuable to Christ. Every person you reach is precious in His sight. Every lost soul who comes to know the love of Jesus because of your ministry is cherished by the King.

I remember praying to God before I officially opened the doors to You Ministries on Facebook.  I had been planning and working hard with my sister on the the content.  As I posted sneak peaks as the time drew near, I remember asking Father God to  send us at least one person whom needed to be blessed by what He had started in my heart.  God did send that one sheep, and so many more.  God always does bigger than expected.

Sharing Your Faith Without Pushing People Away

If you feel called to online ministry, it can be challenging. You may wonder how you can share your faith without pushing people away. The fact that you’re thinking about this is a good sign.

Some Christians mistakenly believe that in order to minister, they must preach a “fire and brimstone” message that’s heavy on condemnation and light on love, mercy, and grace.

While this approach may work on a select few people, the truth is it’s rarely effective long-term. It hurts and alienates those you’re reaching, even if you don’t realize it at the time.

Sadly, this was the case for Tracy. Her twenty-year-old daughter was an atheist who had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. When she miscarried a few months into the pregnancy, Tracy’s daughter posted about it on a social media site.

Tracy’s mother, Georgia, who was a Christian quickly posted a comment. She accused her granddaughter of having invited God’s judgement into her life and poured out hatred and condemnation in a long, scathing message.

Tracy was horrified by her mother’s reaction. She shared the situation with a friend, asking, “How could someone who claims to believe that God loves everyone turn around and treat someone else so cruelly?”

When I was fifteen I became pregnant.  I was raised in a Christian home and I knew how to make better choices than that of having sex and losing my virginity.  However, I still knew at that young age that my choice was made before I got pregnant not after.  My boyfriends Catholic mother and sisters cornered me in a bedroom and tried to convince me to abort the baby.  At fifteen, I knew, better than they, that I would not break one of the ten commandments and murder my baby...and I didn't.

While Christians like Georgia and my boyfriends mother and sisters are rare, they do exist. They hurt the very ones they claim they want to help, and they do it while using the name of Jesus. Yet in the Gospel, Christ’s first reaction to the hurting was the same each time—compassion.

Matthew 9:36 is a wonderful example of how to approach online ministry. When you see the dozens of posts on your social media feed or in the comments section of your favorite blog, remember this verse…

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

If you missed the first post in this series you can use this link:  Share Your Faith Authentically

Blessing to you all my friends!  Make sure to leave me a comment below and I will respond personally.

Tammy Becker

Founder and Chief Disciple of You Ministries