Discouraged Sharing Jesus? Why It Still Matters

Do you ever feel like sharing Jesus is having ZERO effect? Maybe you’ve thought about giving up altogether? This is a common experience when sharing the gospel, especially with close family and friends. The history and emotional ties can make these interactions awkward and seemingly fruitless.  

So… what can be done? 

You’re not alone in this struggle—even Jesus faced resistance from those closest to Him. In Mark 6:1–6, when Jesus taught in His hometown synagogue, the people were sceptical, dismissive, and even offended. Despite His wisdom and miracles, their unbelief limited what He could do—He healed only a few and was amazed at their lack of faith. It was then that He said:

“A prophet is not without honour, except in his hometown and among his relatives and his own household.”

If you’ve ever shared Jesus with family and close friends, you understand the awkwardness and frustration that injecting the gospel into those relationships can cause. And often, the results of such efforts can seem pretty insignificant. But should this discourage you from sharing your faith? Absolutely not!

Sharing the gospel is about sowing seeds of faith, often unseen in their growth. The impact of your words can be exponentially more significant than you realise. Each conversation, each shared piece of scripture, is like sowing a seed that could multiply beyond our understanding.

Jesus spoke about this kind of impact in the Parable of the Sower. In Mark 4:20, He says, “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” You might only see the act of sharing, but God sees the harvest to come. What looks small or ineffective now could multiply far beyond what you ever imagined.

As Albert Allen Bartless, a physics professor at the University of Colorado, said:

“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.”

So next time you feel frustrated, get rejected or your words seem to fall flat, remember: 

You simply cannot comprehend the exponential effect that sharing Jesus can have. And in all likelihood, it’s far greater than you can imagine. Paul encourages us in Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

The next time you’re feeling discouraged or frustrated, remember that each action you take and every seed you plant has the potential to multiply beyond your understanding. So take courage and take action!