A Surprising Example of Faith

Sharing your faith can sometimes feel intimidating. Yet one of the most inspiring lessons on how to do it comes from an unlikely source—a young girl taken captive in a foreign land. Her story, tucked into the Old Testament, shows how faith and compassion can work together to bring others to God.

We all have flaws. Naaman’s was that he was a leper.
But this story isn’t really about him—it’s about her.
A little girl, part of the spoils of war, who—without bitterness or revenge—wanted her captor to be healed.

How does a child, torn from her family and home, still cling to faith in God and care about the well-being of the man who enslaved her? There is more than one miracle in this old story. Whatever she knew about the God of Israel, she carried it with her into captivity—and right into the household of a Syrian military commander and his wife. Out of her child-heart flowed compassion.

“She said to her mistress, ‘Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’”
—2 Kings 5:3

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Be an Instrument of God’s Grace

It’s hard to imagine how this young girl could wish something good, redemptive, and healing for her master. Yet she did. That’s Christlikeness—wanting good for others even when they don’t deserve it.

In her difficult circumstances, she discovered the intersection of compassion and faith. That dynamic combination made her an evangelist long before the word existed. She knew where healing could be found, and she cared enough to share it.

When you care enough to share what you know of God’s goodness, you become His instrument of grace too.

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What This Child Teaches Us About Sharing Your Faith

At church we talk a lot about evangelism—about sharing your faith. But sometimes we overcomplicate it. This little girl reminds us that evangelism begins with noticing someone’s need and pointing them to the One who can meet it.

Think of someone you know who doesn’t yet know Christ.
What do you think that person’s deepest need is?
How might knowing Jesus personally heal what’s broken or meet that longing?

That’s the lesson of this young servant: look for the need in a person’s life, and you’ll find the very place they can meet God.

Read through 2 Kings 5:15 to see Naaman’s confession of faith in God.

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The Jesus Way of Seeing People

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently met people where they were.
In Capernaum, He healed a man possessed by a demon. In another town, He touched a leper. In yet another, He forgave and healed a paralytic lowered through a roof by friends.

In each encounter, Jesus saw the person’s need—spiritual, physical, or emotional—and moved toward it with love.
He still calls us to see people that way. When we care enough to notice, He gives us opportunities to share the good news.

The most beautiful part of the gospel message is that God loves us and has proven that love by sending His Son.

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The Gospel: God’s Solution to Every Need

A relationship with God meets every true need of the human heart.
Do you believe that?

God loves every single person.
Is that something you believe?

If you do, it will move you to share your faith.

When Jesus returned to Nazareth, He referenced this very story of Naaman to challenge His hometown’s unbelief:

“There were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
—Luke 4:27

Then Jesus read from Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
—Luke 4:18–19

Jesus was describing His own mission—and ours. We are Spirit-filled messengers with a message of hope, freedom, and grace.

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The Jesus Style of Evangelism

Jesus’ approach to evangelism was simple and Spirit-led:
see people in their need, speak the truth in love, and invite them to respond.

Let God’s love be the anointing that sends you.
Ask His Spirit to empower your words.
Proclaim with confidence that God loves and forgives.
Share clearly the heart of the gospel:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
—John 3:16

Then, like Jesus, invite a response.

When Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26), He was asking her to make a decision. Sharing your faith should include that same gentle invitation—to believe, to trust, to come.

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Don’t Hesitate to Ask for a Decision

On a mission trip, a friend of mine noticed that many people she spoke with prayed to receive Christ. Later, she realized it was because she had asked them to decide. Others had shared the same message but stopped short of inviting a response.

Jesus never hesitated to ask, “Do you believe?”

When you share the gospel, don’t rush away before the moment settles in someone’s heart. Ask questions that draw them toward decision:
Do you believe what the Bible says about Jesus?
Would you like to know Him personally?
Are you longing for forgiveness, peace, and eternal life?

Remember, the Holy Spirit does the real work. You are simply the messenger.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
—Romans 10:9

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Practice Sharing the Simple Gospel

Remember that little girl. Her faith and compassion led someone powerful to the Healer.

Open your eyes to the people around you. Ask God to show you their need and fill your heart with love and courage. Pray for opportunities to speak, and when they come, share what you know.

Sharing your faith isn’t about having perfect words—it’s about pointing people to the perfect Savior.

This week, ask God to open your eyes to one person who needs His love.
Then step forward, trust His Spirit, and share your faith with confidence and care. 🫶