Luke 8:39 (ESV) -- “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
 

Humans love to overcomplicate things. It is what we do. As someone who likes to solve problems and find solutions to complex situations, I’ve seen people try to make things more difficult than they need to be. We like to complicate things instead of simplifying them. 

This is never truer than in the subject of evangelism. Most Christians are allergic to the word evangelism. We imagine cold calling on some stranger, knocking at their door, asking if we can come in and share about what Jesus has done for them. We appreciate the folks who do that. But most people tremble at the thought of doing it themselves. Not because we don’t love Jesus, but because it feels so unnatural.

Our passage today simplifies evangelism for us. After Jesus does a work of God in a person’s life, He tells the individual, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” That’s it. That is evangelism. The goal of the witness is to declare how much God has done for us. When we overcomplicate it with formulas, memorized presentations, or awkward approaches to people, we miss the simplicity of the task. Share with others what God has done for you. 

The individual in our passage did what he was told. He went and proclaimed in the whole city what Jesus had done for him. No training. No classes. No pamphlets to hand out. Just an encounter with Jesus that changed his life. So, he told people. We can too. Find a way to share with someone today what the Lord has done for you.

Reflection & Journal:

- Why do we tend to overcomplicate evangelism?  

- How often do you share your faith? What is the biggest obstacle for you?

- How should this passage give us more comfort and confidence in sharing the gospel?