“Your lawn is looking great!”
“Thanks. I put fertilizer with weed killer on it once a week. Bagging the brass from the mower also helps it look clean. Plus watering. It’s a lot of work.”
“Man, yeah. Definitely. So… you know… Jesus mows the grass.. in Heaven?”
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
I’m sure you cringed reading that. I did. It’s an example of both an awkward attempt to have a gospel conversation with someone, a neighbor in this case, or the scenario we play out in our head as we considering talking about the gospel with someone. I think many of us struggle with moving the conversation from wherever it is to God. We think it’s going to be difficult which produces fear, uncertainty, and doubt. The rest of the conversation has this mental battle raging in our heads and we’re barely present in the moment and in the end don’t talk about God and leave feeling defeated or as if we have failed.
It doesn’t have to be that way. As in most things we need to have a plan to ensure success. Please understand, success is not narrowly defined as someone coming to Christ. That is what we hope for, but that is not success. Success implies we did it, and friends we don’t do it. Conversion is wholly of God. Success is sharing the gospel no matter the outcome.
Given that, here are a few things to remember and put in action as you seek to share Christ in your everyday conversations.
- You’re a Christian, so talk like one.
Think about how you talk to folks at church. Think about the topics of conversation and the words you use. Does God permeate those conversations? Things like, “Praise God!,” “I prayed about it,” and “How can I pray for you?” If that’s who you are, why does no mention of God escape your mouth outside of conversations with other Christians? Your heart is not thus divided. Friends, neighbors, etc. should not initially find out you believe in God when you share the gospel with them (unless you’re a new convert!) They ought to know you love God because mentions of him constantly come from your lips. Do not be ashamed to talk of your Savior. - You don’t have to share the gospel in every conversation.
This will get some push back so let’s clarify. If you want to share the gospel with everyone you talk to, go for it. God bless you! What I mean is if this person is someone you have known or will know for a while, let your faith come out naturally. However, have a plan. Think about how each time you talk to someone you want to tell them something new of God. This will lead to a conversation in which the gospel is quite natural to share. IE, the differences between who you are now and who you were. Why you have hope. Why your outlook is different. Why you don’t gossip. Why you have joy. etc. - The gospel is good news, not an argument.
I spent the first 27 years of my life as a bitter opponent to the gospel; an outspoken and argumentative atheist. Arguments never won anyone over. As Dr. George Robinson said recently “You might win the argument but lose the person.” Apologetics are great and they have their place. We ought to give a reason why we have hope, but that reason had better be Jesus Christ and his gospel and not the Kalam Cosmological Argument. Arguments need opponents. They need winners and losers. Let’s not be adversaries to people, but be their friend in Christ encouraging them to believe the gospel. - You don’t need all the answers.
You’re not God. This dovetails with #3. It’s OK to say “I don’t know.” People cannot argue with how God has changed you. If they do, that’s not a discussion worth having as they’re essentially calling you a liar. Let that go. Encourage them to read the Bible for themselves. Invite them to a Bible study. We’re just workers in God’s vineyard. We encourage growth but we don’t cause it. - Let conversations flow naturally.
If someone is having a really tough time perhaps sharing scripture is helpful for that situation. Christ also calls us to rejoice with those who rejoice (Praise God friend! I’m glad to hear this!) and weep with those weep. (I’m so deeply sorry. I will pray for you. I am here for you and will listen.) This is a restatement of #1. If you don’t want conversations to be awkward, stay on topic. You know how to talk!
A short encouragement to this short list. Be a friend of sinners. People are not just your evangelism targets so you can notch your belt. That’s centered on you. They are people who need to be reconciled to God, for the glory of God. That’s God centered. When we come to faith we often slowly cut off all non-Christian friends we have as we reorient our lives around Church. This is natural, but we also ought to fight to keep those non-Christian friends. They’re still people, they still need God, and you might be the only Christian they know who will share the gospel with them.
I first heard the gospel at age 27 from Chuck. God used that to convert me. Chuck was the first person who shared a biblical gospel with me. Don’t ever assume someone has heard the good news. We’re here to herald our King. He is good! He is worthy of all fame. Do not be ashamed, think about how your conversations will start to be different and put it in practice!
