"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark 16:15. said Jesus. I strive to be one of his followers, but I have avoided some implications of this command. Of course, I've shared my faith with others from time to time, but when I asked myself why this command seemed onerous to me, I realized I had a misconception of what preaching the gospel means.
I had thought of it as proselytizing, attempting to convert others by preaching in an obtrusive manner without invitation—taking a "you're wrong, and I'm right, and so I'm going to set you straight" attitude. This view of evangelizing is unlike Christian Science and what it represents. It's a high-pressure selling of a doctrine rather than a love-inspired sharing of ideas that fill us with joy and peace.
The spiritual sense of evangelizing is motivated by love of others. It's the outpouring of gratitude for the great blessing we've been given by God. Jesus describes it simply in these words: "Freely ye have received, freely give." Matt. 10:8. Mary Baker Eddy writes about Jesus: "In meekness and might, he was found preaching the gospel to the poor. Pride and fear are unfit to bear the standard of Truth, and God will never place it in such hands." Science and Health, pp. 30-31.
