Frustrated and Concerned

How do you convince a person that they need Jesus if they fully believe they have Him?



I have come across this dilemma over a recent vacation as well as my every day life. I have family members who have made it clear to me that they don't believe they need Jesus and they don't want to hear any "preaching". I have said all there is to say to these family members. Now it is only a matter of them coming to a point of needing Him.



On the other hand, I have friends and family who are completely convinced that they have all they can get of Jesus. I try to witness to them through my personal testimony of what God has done in my life. I try to tell them that our lives are a greater testimony than our words. No problem! They agree with me! You see, they believe that they are living a Christian life just because they go to church, pray, read the Bible and are generally good people. Some of them even attend church every Sunday. In between church services and praying to the God they curse in just about every sentence, some of them also visit psychics and study astrology on a regular basis. Some of them believe that God will support anything you want to do just because your happiness is his utmost concern. Some believe you must listen to "your inner spirit" and follow it wherever it leads…even if it leads to immoral sexual activity, drugs, and things that are directly against God's Holy Word….of which they believe was written by man so it is not an accurate representation of God's will for our lives.



When I try to explain God's will to those who will listen, they twist everything to their convenience and then agree with me. It's all so frustrating! I want to know that I will see them when I get to heaven. Right now, I know that I will not see many of them……many of whom I love dearly. I sometimes wonder if I am not bold enough, and then again, I am afraid of being too bold and scaring them off. I pray while I talk to them and I only hope that God is planting seeds that will produce fruit later. I truly believe what the Bible says about a prophet having no honor in his own country (see John 4). It seems like it is easier to witness to a stranger than to family and friends. Sometimes, I even find myself sucked into agreeing with them just to spare arguing. I see that it is pointless to do otherwise. That's not good. I am placing my faith in me and not God. I also seem to have an easier time witnessing to a group of people than to an individual. I really think I need some help growing in this area. I need wisdom, discernment, and boldness when necessary.



One thing I didn't ask them...



Maybe I should have...



But maybe it would have pushed them away and caused them to be less open to conversation with me...



Or maybe they might have been saved...



I didn't ask them to share with me a time in their life when they confessed to God that they were sinners and asked Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of their lives. Was I being a coward? Or using discernment knowing they were not open to that and I might push them away? Did somebody miss out on salvation because I wasn't bolder about witnessing? May God forbid that any of these people should go to hell because of what I said...or didn't say.