The Lord Jesus has promised that as we do the great commission, He will be with us "unto the end of the age." Yet, some of us fail to win our friends or others, and because of this we become discouraged from trying again.

If you've ever tried to win souls, you'll know how hard it is. Winning a soul doesn't mean that a person will automatically become a follower, but rather it might mean not being at odds with another person. That's a good start. Remember, the Lord Jesus Himself didn't win everyone during His earthly ministry: "He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him" (John 1:10-11).

What do you do when your efforts to win souls for Christ fail? Here are some things that you can do.

1) Realise that you can't win everybody

The Lord Jesus Himself said that "Students are not greater than their teacher." (see Luke 6:40) If He wasn't able to win everyone with all the signs and wonders that He did, then how could we?

After trying to win that classmate or coworker to no avail, don't bash yourself for "being a failure." It's normal for all soul-winners to fail at getting everyone's "yes". King David had enemies in Israel, despite being the nation's most loved king. If you can't win a specific person, there are others still to win.

2) You can try again

If you failed at first, that doesn't mean there's no hope anymore. If you're familiar with the time when Jesus was crucified, you'll notice that there was a soldier who recognised Jesus as "truly ... the Son of God." (see Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39)

There are times when our efforts to bring Jesus to a person isn't met with much acceptance or enthusiasm. Of course, it's because "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Realise that you can try again. In sharing the gospel, we must realise that we have a strong opposition from the enemy. Keep praying for those whom you want to win to Christ as you share, and leave the rest to God.  

3) Ask God's help

And beyond our own efforts, we never truly know how or where exactly God is working but Jesus promises He'll be with us as we preach the gospel and make disciples. Why? It's because we can't do it on our own. We are powerless without Christ, and so we must realise that we can't win souls without His help! Pray in the Spirit, hungrily devour God's Word, and trust in Christ for the noble privilege to be His ambassador into the world. Remember, Jesus said He'll be the One who will build His church. (see Matthew 16:18) It's not by might nor power, but by the Spirit of God. (see Zechariah 4:6)