The time has come to speak up, and yet you remain silent . . . Why?

Our preacher challenged us Sunday to answer the following question: The reason(s) I am not more personally evangelistic is/are . . .


The following are some of my thoughts.

1. Good old fashioned fear. While my mind can readily call up verses such as 2 Tim 1:7-8 and 1 Sam 8:7, fear often strikes right along with evangelistic opportunities.
2. Inferiority complex or fear of failure - I'm reminded of the parable of one talent in Mt 25:19-30. I often feel that I can’t do as good a job as the situation requires.
3. Not knowledgeable enough or lack of preparation - 2 Tim 2:15, Php 4:13. There really isn’t an acceptable reason for this unless you are a new Christian. We, and I mean I, need to realize that God expects all of us to perform to the level we are able, and to recognize a need for growth and improvement to do better the next time.
4. Lack of ability to properly value the soul/Indifference - Mt 16:26, Jas 5:19-20. I can think logically about this, but have difficulty always seeing the value of someone’s soul over their physical attributes or attitude or words or how they dress, etc.
5. Don’t always know how to respond until the moment has passed. This could also fit under lack of preparation - 2 Tim 4:2.
6. Don't want to lose my friends. Are my friends really that valuable that I'm not willing to risk losing their friendship to share something so valuable with them? Again Mt 16:26 fits here.

I realize that not everyone is religious, but I think that many of these reasons could fit when we don't speak up about whatever it is that we feel strongly about. It could be a political point, social mores, crime and punishment, current events . . . the list could go on and on. What do you think? What keeps you from speaking up or speaking out when the moment comes?