It goes without saying that religion is a very debatable issue. Therefore, every person is the society has an own opinion and worldview about this issue. There lots of reasons why people are afraid of God and religion in general. Some of them have never thought about it in a thorough way, the others have been too shy and have been scared even of a reaction of their friends or family, in case they have a different opinion about it.
Share Jesus without Fear is a little book but full of understandable and wise words. This book helps to find your faith and way to God without being afraid of even confused. It teaches and inspires how to find faith and share it with others. The book has its own approach which consists of just 5 questions. There are several parts of the book, and every part has its own 5 questions with the answers. What is more, every section describes a situation from the different angles, so that there are possible hesitations which may occur in the reader’s mind.
Pastor Sean writes a review about this book and thinks that ‘this book is an understandable way to inspire, teach and show the readers the world with the God in it’1. He also points at the main success of the book so that ‘the book is aimed not to convert persons, but make them share the Gospel and trust God’1. One the other hand, Elliot in his review of the book points that ‘the only reason for converting everyone may be obedience’2.
Harris, Pastor. 2016. ‘Pastor Sean's Blog: Book Critique Of Share Jesus Without Fear By William Fay’
(‘Book Review: “Share Jesus Without Fear’ By William Fay (1997)" 2010)
Everyone has a period in one’s life when your life seems like a crossroad, you have so many roads to follow but you have no slightest ideas which one to choose. This period I call despair in the life. I had this period of life too since I had too many questions occurred in my mind but there were no answers or just small hints at all.
I had this desperate period in my life too. I didn’t know what to do and how to escape from this situation. I was sure about my destination in the life and what I should have done to follow this route or just to find it and not to lose myself following this way. One of the things, which was constantly bothering me, was religion. Honestly, I was lost in my way, especially my way to God.
All the questions mentioned in the book appeared in my head. I remember all that words constantly running and wandering in my head and I could not do anything to change it. I also remember that I had all the objections which were described in the book. But I didn’t have such a book to read and order those messy thoughts so that I could understand the world better without constant hesitation and fear of the whole world and my part in it.
Sometimes I wish I had this book earlier and it helped to make everything easier. Now I clearly understand why everything appeared in my head – I lost my way to God and got confused in consequences which faced me afterward. This book is a little present, a small embodiment of peace, inspiration and even further teaching plans what to do in your life , how to combine it with the religion and save your soul afterward.
Moreover, I understand that after finding peace and patience to my soul, I should help others to find these key elements for a decent life. As it was mentioned in the book, success may not be determined just by leading someone to Jesus but by showing him this way of trusting God and sharing the Gospel with other for their sake. Share Jesus without Fear is an understandable way of becoming closer to God and even save your soul by just realizing how we should live and in what believe.
Despite the fact that this book was aimed to help and inspire people to find and follow their way to God, I felt like every person is a sinner and deny it. So there are only people described in the book which has no attitude to religion. It makes no sense since every personality has a different worldview, especially on the religious side. It is why the author should describe believers as wells, though, that type of believers who just have faith bit they do nothing to firm and support it.
Lacking these precise details makes the reader think that sometimes it’s just a book and it has nothing in common with the reality. The reader can smell too idealized circumstances and even the way how a person may be persuaded and made to follow a suggested way. Sometimes the reader may feel fear as a consequence of terrifying lines which were aimed to persuade the audience. However, the title of the book (Share Jesus without Fear) hints at the fact that the reader will have no fear not only while reading the book but also while converting. This issue seems to be controversial for the audience.
Finally, even one of the critics notices that this book is well-written, however, somehow in a non-argumentative way3. So, the lack of arguments may make some misunderstandings between the author and the audience.
(Kane, Kane and profile 2010)
After reading this book, I have realized that everyone is a sinner but our souls can be saved by praying and trusting God. By doing these small steps, we stay closer to God and beg for forgiveness. I, also, want to confess that this book makes you rethink all your life and all your experiences before. You have different views on the same things and the same events. It means that this book is really significant and influential since it may change the way I feel and live. It makes me think how my deeds may influence my life – not only now, but also after my death. So after analyzing all this material, I would like to change some points in my life.
First, I want to change my attitude. I am a religious person but I want to firm my faith and show my love to God. I can do this by sharing my faith with others. These little deeds can save not only my soul but also souls of my friends or relatives. I, also, should not be shy and reserved to discuss it with others. I shouldn’t manipulate someone but I should demonstrate my position and explain every question, detail or statement to a person who may be interested in it. There will be a lot of different people but everyone deserves to know the truth, so I will help them to find their ways to God. Moreover, I know for sure that every personality has an own right to have a personal opinion concerning every matter which can exist on the Earth. I will respect one’s thoughts, opinions, and positions. The only things, which I will do, is just showing my attitude and providing them with facts and evidence in case they want to listen to me and hear them. I am not sure if I go deeper in investigating this question, but I am more than sure that this issue is extremely interesting and covers a lot of spheres of human life. So I may be discovering it in a more precise and thorough way so that I could be more specific and accurate to my knowledge. But still, I do remember that bare facts have nothing in common with faith since they can firm your knowledge, not your love and faith.
Second, in one of the blogs I have read how this book and the method, described in this book, had changed a life of one man. He was new accepted Catholic so that he did believe in God but he wasn’t so close to the church. But the point is that he didn’t understand everything in a clear way, especially he couldn’t study the Bible as he didn’t have a comprehensive understanding concerning what was written and described in there. The author describes that this man ‘had no idea and understanding how to be a Christian at all’4. Therefore, I will study Bible for myself in order to understand better how to be Christian. I know that this understanding won’t help me to believe better but I will be closer to the church and sure in my position. This book is a good guidance manual not only for people for those who want to share the Gospel. But also for people who want to understand how to be Christian. I guess I am the second type of people who just want to be more a conscious Christian than to share the Gospel at this period of time.
Finally, I will give this book to my friend and relatives so that they could be aware of this method too. I am sure that more than a half of them will be interested in it as I am. Therefore, we can have some topics in common or we can share some information which we define as the significant one and want to discuss it with someone. Moreover, I do believe that everyone has their own view and if I ask them about their genuine impression after reading that book, they will share with it and I will have some new feelings and emotions concerning this issue. It will help me to find a new angle from which I can investigate my attitude to the church and my participation in it.
So these three actions are not very remarkable for the other people who surround me, but they are more important for me and my present and future life in general. After changing my attitude, my life, and my faith will change for sure. Maybe I will share the Gospel and help the whole world to find their peace their way to God and save their souls.
(‘Share Jesus Without Fear’ 2016)
Bibliography
‘Book Review: ‘Share Jesus Without Fear’ By William Fay (1997)’. 2010. Elliot's Blog. https://thelittlemaninchina.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/book-review %E2%80%9Cshare-jesus-without-fear%E2%80%9D-by-william-fay/
Harris, Pastor. 2016. ‘Pastor Sean's Blog: Book Critique Of Share Jesus Without Fear By William Fay’. Pastorseansblog.Blogspot.Com. http://pastorseansblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/book-critique-of-share-jesus-without.html.
Kane, Citizen, Citizen Kane, and View profile. 2010. ‘Onward Christian Soldier: Book Review Of ‘Share Jesus Without Fear’ By William Fay And Linda Evans Shepherd’. Onward-Christian-Soldier.Blogspot.Com. http://onward-christian-soldier.blogspot.com/2010/08/book-review-of-share-jesus-without-fear.html.
‘Share Jesus Without Fear’. 2016. CBN.Com (Beta). http://www1.cbn.com/churchandministry/share-jesus-without-fear.
