I John 3:23 NLT says: “And this is His commandment: We must believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.â€Â The first step in witnessing is to love the person whom you are trying to win. That is not always an easy thing to do.
I tend to avoid people who are “of the worldâ€.  I guess I think that I might become contaminated. Remember when Jesus lived on earth that He was condemned for eating and drinking with sinners? He said that He came not to condemn the world but to save the world. We can’t be “fishers of men†unless we fish in the pond where the fish are!
We can witness to the unsaved without compromising our Faith. We don’t need to go to places that are wicked. We do need to be open with people in public places. Bill Fey and Mark Cahill both talk of how to start a conversation with somebody in an airplane or sports event or a shopping mall, etc. Often, a person is open to visiting about the weather or a current event; then at an opportune time in the conversation, we can bring up spiritual topics.
The important thing to remember is love. How often do we look at a person and wonder if they are saved? Do we love others enough to even care about their souls? We are reminded of God’s unconditional love in Romans 5:8: “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.â€Â If we love the lost people of the world, we will want them to know of His great love. John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.†That whosoever might be the person standing next to us in line at the checkout counter. Do we love Christ enough to keep His commandment to love?
    Lord, lay some soul upon my heart,
    And love that soul through me;
    And may I nobly do my part
    To win that soul for Thee.                 Â
Dr. Leon Tucker & Ira Sankey