Feeling Guilty (or Inadequate) When Someone Rejects Your Sharing of the Gospel

Some of you may be too young to remember the Challenger space shuttle incident on January 28, 1986. “The entire crew of seven was lost in the explosion 73 seconds into the launch.” I remember watching it on television at school when it happened. I can’t recall exactly how I felt as a child—though I can still vividly see it taking place in my mind’s eye—but I recently read an article about someone who lived some thirty years with guilt from it.

Bob Ebeling | Finally free from guilt over Challenger disaster, an engineer dies in peace

Ebeling did what he could to warn others about the possible disaster ahead. He used science, theory, and reason in trying to persuade others to listen, examine the facts, and take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the crew, the shuttle, and ultimately the program. Sadly, his words fell mostly onto deaf ears. With the witness of four others, they became known at the time as “the five lepers.” Seven souls went into eternity that day, and Ebeling said, “I think that was one of the mistakes that God made. He shouldn’t have picked me for that job. I don’t know.”

I wanted to use Ebeling’ story to highlight another warning call. As Professing Christians—whether adults, teens, or children—we should care enough about our neighbors to warn them about eternity. By sharing the Scriptures, teaching and encouraging them to know Jesus Christ, we can hopefully help them escape disaster in this life and in the next. We should do it because we care, because we love God and love man. That’s what Ebeling did. He cared enough to do what he could to warn others to make the right choice. That is all we can do. Present the gospel and encourage others to make the right choice.

However, Ebeling’s words were dismissed (or not heeded), disaster came, and he blamed himself. He asked God, “Why me? You picked a loser.” Have you (or I) ever felt this way? After sharing the Word of God with family, friends, etc., and doing everything imaginable to lead them to Christ, we still saw/see their lives destroyed by sin or them leave this world without a Saviour? Do we blame ourselves, as inadequate, witnessing tools for God, wishing someone else (better, older, more spiritual) would have been used instead of us? Is it our fault when someone rejects Christ? Ebeling believed it was his fault, and so do some of us.

Thankfully—for Ebeling—he was encouraged enough (after thirty years) that the disaster wasn’t his fault. He had discovered the evidence and shared the warning, it simply wasn’t heeded or accepted at the time. The same holds true for those who share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We share it out of love, as a warning to all humanity, praying that every soul will heed and accept the warning. Sometimes we see souls converted, while other times they continue on the path to destruction.

So, as you walk as a Christian, remember the words of Paul: “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” [1 Corinthians 9:22; 1 Corinthians 3:6] We are responsible to share words of wisdom, but what others do with it is between them and God. We should not feel guilty if we have truly done our best for God. Although it isn’t always easy—as in Ebeling’s story—when we see others get hurt in the process. We must focus on doing all that we can humanly do, while trusting the Spirit of God will perform the greater work inside every man.