Kevin Croft, LCM Field Director, encourages us to think through how we can share our lives and the gospel in a way that honours God and each other.

“Ogres are like onions… Onions have layers. Ogres have layers… You get it? We both have layers.”[1]

I think all of us can resonate with Shrek here: we are like ogres and onions. There are lots of layers that make you who you are.

This is true of everyone we know, people with whom we, as Christians, seek to share the gospel.

In fact, showing our own ‘layers’ to the people we interact with is a great way to share the gospel with them. What will people find if we peel back the layers of our own lives? The work layer, the family layer, the friends layer, even the layer of insecurity, perhaps? Will people find evidence of the gospel beneath those layers?

Now, you might be thinking, “Really, Kev? Does this even work? Why should peeling back the layers of our lives help us to share Jesus?”

Simply put, the call of the Christian is to love God with our whole heart and our neighbours as ourselves. Sharing our lives as a way to share the gospel not only gives authenticity to our message but also provides us with opportunities to live out the hope that the gospel gives us in both good and tough times.

As we share our lives with others, we get to know them, and they share their lives with us. As we let people in and walk with them through the joys and difficulties of life, we are able to show people what the gospel looks like in practice.

Now, you might think this is just another task I have to add to an already manic schedule. That is not my desire, but let's think about how we share our lives and the gospel with some of the communities that we are already part of, such as family, neighbourhood, school, and work.

In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul gives us three real-life examples of how he and his fellow evangelists behaved while they were in Thessalonica.

Paul never loses sight of the call he has been given to share Christ with others.

It’s a constant theme in Paul's life. We can see Paul’s gospel priorities in the first 13 verses of 1 Thessalonians 2. In verse 4, he says, “We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.”

Verse 6 shows that Paul’s ministry to the Thessalonians was not motivated by a desire to win praise: “We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.”

Sharing the gospel was paramount, but Paul also shared his life with others—not as some great Christian leader anointed by God but up close and personal, like a family member.

At London City Mission, we equip everyday Christians to share their lives and the gospel. So, what can we learn from Paul about how to do this? How can we imitate his example?

1. Young child. (1Thessalonians 2:6-7)

Firstly, Paul says he was like a young child. Meet any proud parent today, and they will love to share a picture of their child with you. They’ll also share the skills they’ve learnt, the milestones they’ve achieved, and so much more.

Children in Paul’s day were not seen like this at all. They had no social status. They were the lowest of the low. As Paul describes himself in this way, he promotes humility. He was not asserting his authority but giving it up as he shared the gospel and his life. He was imitating Christ.

We can put this attitude into practice in our daily lives by prioritising the needs of others. It’s looking out for the lonely parent at the school gate. It’s about crossing the street towards someone who slept rough on the streets, knowing we may end up sharing our lunch with them.

It’s having conversations that revolve around the person we’re speaking with. Are we genuinely listening to them? As we cross cultures, are we willing to learn from the very people we seek to share Jesus with?

2. Nursing mother (1 Thessalonians 2:7-9)

Paul has a genuine love and care for those he shares Christ with—a sacrificial love like that of a nursing mother who puts her child's needs before her own.

Paul and his companions lived an “other person-focused” way of life. In a world that says, “Put yourself front and centre,” genuine care for others can seem difficult to find.

But this mindset of loving others, like a nursing mother, is driven by love—love that means sharing the gospel and our lives.

Just like Paul didn’t want to use his authority to be a burden to others, the gospel does not burden people. Genuine love for those we share Christ with will ensure that we are not adding burdens on people.

So rather than inviting someone out with you, why not find a way to invite them in? For example, why not ask someone to your home for dinner and make the most of the opportunity to share the gospel as you share your life?

3. Encouraging father (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

Paul reminds these new Christians how he lived amongst them. His message was gospel proclamation. His life was gospel presentation. It means his life reflected the good news he preached.

He wanted to ensure he lived and practised what he preached to leave these new believers with an example to follow.

How many people know that you’re a Christian or that you go to church? It’s not about giving a full gospel account every time you have a conversation with someone but peppering your conversation with the gospel. For example, if your neighbour asks how your weekend went, you might want to tell them about your experience at church on Sunday!

What a challenge and call just a couple of verses give us! Paul wants these new believers to imitate his example. Are we sharing enough of our lives with people so that they see the gospel on display?

Paul’s examples of child, mother, and father are perfectly modelled in the life of Christ, who came into the world as an infant, ready to learn how to be human. He loved us so much he didn’t just share his life but gave it up for us. He left us an example of how we should be living as transformed members of his family.

We should never stop proclaiming the good news with our lips, but we are also called to present it with our lives.

Just think about the people you share your life with—family, neighbours, colleagues. How might you start to peel the layers of your life back with them, to be vulnerable with them, so that with your words and ways, you might point them to Jesus? Does each layer of our lives show something of Jesus, who we claim to follow?

If you’re interested in sharing Jesus with the people God has placed around you, listen to our podcast for encouragement and helpful tips. Visit lcm.org.uk/podcasts.