Most Christian want to share their faith but for one reason or another they often don’t. It may be fear of embarrassment, or offending someone; or the sense that the time is not right, or that they lack adequate preparation and don’t know the right methods.
To keep it simple, the best time and place is in the course of everyday activities while you are in the presence of non-believers. One can learn a lot by following the example of the Apostle Paul. Let’s take the account in Acts 17.22-31. Paul is in the Areopagus where the thinkers from Athens all go to hang out and talk. What can be observed about his interaction with them.
1. He was ready. His preparation was not for a specific kind of situation or encounter. Rather he had prepared himself by prayer, prior study of God’s Word, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. He knew what he believed and trusted God to guide him to bring to mind what was needed for the specific situation.
Today that might look like a person who is active in his church and spends time in Bible study, prayer and spiritual development. Ideally, he has a mentor, or discipleship relationship with others in the body of Christ. He does not allow the church program to dominate all of his agenda and balances his time with family and with unsaved from his neighborhood or work.
2. He was positive. Even in the face of hostile doubters he was not hostile towards them. Instead he pointed out their religious interest and commended them for it. This became a bridge to introduce them to the real God.
Find something in the life of a person you are witnessing to that reveals their desire to do good, or a subconscious awareness of void in their life that only God can fill. Talk about it sympathetically with them.
3. He started where they were. Paul accepted the limitations of their knowledge and started from the point of their awareness. They had erected a statue to the unknown god because of their fear of not “covering all the bases” and causing trouble for having omitted one of the gods. They recognized forces and beings outside their control had impact on their lives. So he started from the point of their thinking and took them further.
In today’s world it might not be a statue but it could be videos or pop music that express social failure or despair. It might be the idea that every path leads to God or all gods are the same so it is not important. Perhaps it is signs of violence or loneliness in the neighborhood. Whatever, condition we find people in we need to understand them and start from that point.
4. He showed interest in people. He went and hung out where they were. He listened to them and showed interest in the things that interested them. He obviously, spent time understanding the poets and philosophers who had shaped their thinking.
It is so disheartening when a Christian says, “I couldn’t go there, they do ____ (fill in the blank with your choice of sin) there. Exactly, that is where you find the needy, not in church. A woman in our community spends her time in strip clubs befriending sex workers and listening to the stories of their broken lives. When they realize they are at the end of their rope, they reach out to her and she ministers God’s love to them.
5. He told them the way to reconcile with God, when the time was right. He did not begin by telling them they needed to be reconciled with God. First he had to gain their interest and confidence. When he sensed they were ready to understand the importance of the way of reconciliation then he tells them of God’s plan.
One does not have to wait to be asked before talking about God’s plan of reconciliation, but it should be at a time when their conversation reveals they are aware of a problem. This calls for sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit.
6. He gave the Word, and then he left. He gave them the message and then moved on. He knew that what he had to say was controversial and that most were not convinced. But he chose not to stay and argue (harangue) with them. He planted the seed and then left the Holy Spirit with them to use it in their minds for a while. It’s best to give people some space to “digest” what they have heard and leave them hungry for more, rather than to feel that one is pressuring them to go where they do not want to go. The Holy Spirit will continue working in them, and when the time is right they will come back for more.
Global Opportunities founder, Ruth Siemens, tells many stories of how this works in her article on Fishing Evangelism. Once after misplacing a great sum of money her staff realized her concern. When it was found staff commented on how lucky she was. She quickly replied it was not luck but that she prayed to God and he helped her find it. She did not elaborate at the time and walked away. Later when the staff person was having a problem of their own she approached Ruth and asked how this relationship with God worked and if she would pray for help in her need. The staff person was ready and responsive at that point.
These are simple principles… Be ready… be friendly… be intentional… be interested… trust in the Holy Spirit… move on. Practice them. It’s not that complicated.
