Someone correctly said that sharing our faith involves tact, and “the best kind of tact” is always “contact”! Christianity is a lifestyle to be lived and to be shared with everyone we meet. Effective evangelism begins with conversation and often this is the most difficult place to begin when it comes to our everyday cohorts. Few folks will approach us and directly say, “I would like to have a spiritual conversation with you.” As such, far too many Christians never have spiritual conversations because we sometimes have no idea where to begin. Yet, spiritual conversations are not as difficult as we may think. How can you and I be more efficient in our contact with others as we share the Gospel with the lost?
Firstly, we must have a good awareness. Christianity is an antennas up way of life. We are always looking for opportunities and for open doors. Sometimes these doors of opportunity take many months or even years to fully open. Good awareness begins with people’s needs. For example, divorce, death, discouragement, disease and disaster are all potentially open doors for evangelism. This world really needs a healthy dose of others who truly care and are willing to get dirty to help out. Is there someone you know who has a need? Has someone recently lost a loved one, a job or is distraught about the condition of the world? Be aware of those around you; often they will be longing for us to stop and take time to really care, and that caring can and will open a spiritual conversation.
Secondly, we must have a good prospect. Sometimes it is difficult to ascertain if someone is really interested in spiritual dialogue or just simply “doting about questions and strife of words” (1 Timothy 6:4 KJV). No matter how badly we want to converse spiritually with someone, there are some who are not good heart-soil (Matthew 13). We need to be aware of good prospects with whom we are associated. One word of caution here: sometimes in our mind a person is not a good prospect, but in God’s eyes he or she is (Acts 9:13-14). Also, sometimes a person is not a good prospect at one time but later may be open to God’s Word. There are prospects all around us every day. Coworkers, schoolmates, neighbors, friends, non-Christian family members, etc. It really comes down to our vision; do we see people, or do we see prospects?
Thirdly, we must be a good listener. Good listeners truly listen and are not always thinking of how they will respond. Good listening is an art that takes time and effort to master, but it is crucial for profitable spiritual conversations. Good listeners will often hear about pain that is deep inside someone’s heart, a past religious failure or even what the person believes about the Bible. Paul reminded, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:5-6 ESV). We can never speak or answer properly unless we first listen!
Lastly, we must ask good questions. Questions are the cream of spiritual conversations. There are general questions that help open the conversation. Remember, folks are usually experts in three areas: their jobs, their families and their backgrounds. So, use those areas to open the conversation. “What do you enjoy doing?” “Where are you from?” “What do you do for a living?” These questions not only open the door, but they also show that we care about the person.
There are also open-ended questions. For example, sometimes a person will ask, “Why does the church of Christ not use instruments?” We can tactlessly answer the question and lose the prospect, or we could simply reply open-endedly, by asking, “That is a great question. Is there a particular reason you ask?” Then, follow up by asking, “Well, what have you heard about the church of Christ?” An infamous question that often creates hostility is, “Do you think the church of Christ are the only ones going to Heaven?” Instead of tactlessly answering the question, ask a question in return to open the door. For example, you may restate the question by asking, “Do you believe you can go to heaven without obeying Jesus?” Now the stage is set! You may then say something like, “Well, I really believe anyone who obeys Jesus will go to Heaven.” Then follow up with, “Do you think every religious group is obeying Jesus?” Then ask, “I often question why anyone would not want to obey Jesus.” You are not only opening the door for a study, but you are also testing the quality of the soil. Follow up by asking, “What do you think it means to obey Jesus?” “I would love to hear your perspective on this.” No single approach or set of questions will work in every situation, but questions open the door for healthy spiritual dialogue.
Spiritual conversations become easier and more effective as we grow and learn. It is a joy to speak of Jesus’ name and of His plan! Never be ashamed or afraid to begin spiritual dialogue. Pray each day for open doors of opportunity, and then look out! God will open doors for His kingdom if we are truly looking and anticipating such. Remember to use tact when spiritual conversations arise, but never forget, the best tact to use in spiritual conversations is contact! “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35 NKJV).
[Editor’s Note: An excellent article, indeed! Herein are excellent and practical points that are fundamental to the most effective type of evangelism. Now, what remains is for Christians generally and for me in particular to implement them into our daily lives. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
