Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement

It’s one thing to talk about faith, hope, and God’s love in spaces that feel safe. But what about when you’re asked to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone who’s hurt you? Someone who pushes your buttons, contradicts your values, or makes you deeply uncomfortable?

That’s where the rubber meets the road.

The true test of our faith isn’t found in sharing Jesus with people who are easy to love. It’s found in whether we’re willing to carry His love into hard places, toward hard people. This is where the Gospel stops being a concept—and becomes a calling. It’s not about comfort. It’s about compassion. Not about agreement—but transformation.

Spreading the message of Jesus Christ to people who think, live, or act like us? That’s simple. But sharing His love with those who’ve betrayed us, misunderstood us, or wounded us—that’s where it gets real. The truth is, we can’t effectively share Jesus with people we’re unwilling to love. Love is the vehicle that carries the Gospel to hearts in need. Without it, our words become noise, our efforts fall flat, and our witness loses power.

Love is what gives our faith authenticity. It’s not just about what we say—it’s about who we embrace and how we live. Jesus made it clear: love is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37–39). And He didn’t just say it—He embodied it. He loved the ones everyone else avoided.

Think of Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector. Jesus didn’t shout at him from a distance. He said, “I’m coming to your house today” (Luke 19:1–10). That one act of kindness broke years of shame and brought radical change. Why? Because love was the door through which transformation entered.

Now look at Jonah. God sent him to Nineveh—a place full of people he feared and despised. And Jonah ran. Not because he was afraid of failing—but because he was afraid of success. He knew that if he shared God’s message, they might repent. And he didn’t want them to be forgiven. But God’s love is bigger than our bitterness. When Jonah finally obeyed, the entire city turned to God (Jonah 3:5–10).

The apostle Paul puts it plainly: “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Without love, even the most eloquent sharing of the Gospel becomes hollow.

Jesus didn’t limit His love to the lovely. He embraced the broken, the betrayed, the outcast—and even those who nailed Him to a cross. “Father, forgive them,” He prayed from the place of unimaginable pain (Luke 23:34). That’s not weak love. That’s divine strength in action. That’s the kind of love that changes lives—and it’s the love we’re called to carry.

So, how do we share the Gospel when it’s hard to love?

1. Pray for a Heart Like His
   Ask Jesus to soften your heart, to give you His eyes, and to help you see people not as they are—but as they could be through His grace.
2. Listen Before You Speak
   Sharing Jesus isn’t just about words—it’s about connection. When we listen first, we show people they matter. That opens doors that shouting never could.
3. Serve Without Agenda
   Some of the most powerful moments of evangelism happen through quiet acts of kindness. A meal, a ride, a simple gesture of care can say more than a sermon.
4. Be Honest About Your Journey
   Vulnerability is magnetic. When you share your own brokenness and how Jesus met you there, others begin to believe He can meet them too.
5. Leave the Results to God
   Your role is to love, plant seeds, and speak truth with grace. God does the growing, the convicting, and the transforming.

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t just about reaching the reachable—it’s about loving the least likely. The difficult people in our lives aren’t detours from our mission—they are the mission. Jesus didn’t come to make us comfortable. He came to make us carriers of divine compassion.

You may never feel “ready” to love certain people. But you don’t need more comfort—you need more courage. The kind that says, “I’ll go where You send me, Lord—even if it’s to someone I’d rather avoid.”

Prayer:

Father,
Thank You for loving me when I was hard to love. For pursuing me when I was distant, for showing me grace when I didn’t deserve it. Now I ask You to give me that same kind of love for others. Break down the pride, the pain, and the fear that keeps me from reaching across the divide. Help me to see people through Your eyes—to love them not because they’ve earned it, but because You love them. Let my life carry the fragrance of Christ. Use me, Lord, to bring Your Gospel to places and people I would never choose—because that’s where Your heart beats strongest.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.