There are moments when I want to talk about faith, but I hesitate.
It’s because when I’m talking to someone about work, relationships, something that happened that day, or even something completely random, somehow, with a teary eye, my faith finds its way into the conversation.
There was one scenario when I was speaking with my aunt and a family friend and I shared what I was thinking, that friend said, “Iris is soooo weird.’
Awkward.
The thing is, I’m not bringing up faith because I’m trying to turn every conversation into a Bible study. I bring it up because faith is just part of how I understand life. It’s just naturally there for me.
So, when I thought about it, being a little weird or having an awkward moment after incorporating God into our conversation is not the worst thing in the world. And sometimes, the most natural faith conversations happen when we’re simply living our lives.
That’s one of the reasons I find The Daily helpful. It gives me something to reflect on at the beginning of my day and sometimes, the timing of what I read feels strangely perfect for a conversation I was having. (The Daily is found in the Friends Following Jesus app that you can download in App Store or Google Play.)
So, maybe you’ve learned something from your own awkward moments too. What did that looked like for you? How did you talk about faith without making it awkward?
Hi @irris ! Thanks so much for this post. Appreciate you sharing so honestly about your experience. Indeed, sharing about our faith is often received as weird. And you are right when you say this:
Such experiences can discourage us from sharing the gospel and it is so good to see you turning this into a learning experience. Your post also makes us ponder about ways we might share about the Daily with friends and family.
When we experience an awkward gospel sharing moment, I wonder if one place to start is by reflecting if there was anything we could do differently next time. Using language that sounds too spiritual and unrelatable, failing to ask questions and listen, failing to build trust, sharing too much too soon, picking the wrong moment or failing to pay attention to a practical need, are a few things that come to mind on why a conversation might turn out weird and something to be considered. But even with the best of efforts and intentions, such conversations may still feel awkward because its just not the norm in our modern day culture. Past negative evangelistic experiences may shape the perception too. Perhaps asking directly if they would be interested in setting aside time to go over a devotional, may give opportunity to have a more focused honest conversational time than trying to have it in an unplanned moment.
A great place we might turn to for wisdom for such conversations is the biographies of Christian missionaries from the past. Today, I came across a book, ‘If Only We Could See’ by Jennifer Trafton, who shares wisdom from the life of Lilias Trotter, a missionary to remote towns in North Africa in the early 1900s. For Lilias,
“being a missionary was about bearing joy; she looked out upon a world that had not yet heard the news and couldn’t wait to tell it to them”.
Lilias saw people as beloved of God which helped her go beyond cultural barriers. To her, the author writes,
“They were already loved, already known, already cherished. The beauty of their faces, their colorful garments, their tents and houses, were one with the beauty of the landscape around them because all of that beauty had the same Source”.
Her missional approach was relational, sharing love, teaching and mentoring others. The author writes:
It all came down to this: Was she willing to lay down all of her life, her talents, her time, in service to God to use in whatever way He wanted?
This kind of love can only flow out a deep knowledge of the love of God. Every work of God begins here, a deep abiding in Christ. When I think back to my own conversion to Christ, I experienced a relational approach as well. The gospel was shared in the context of an authentic friendship.
Having gospel conversations is a skill we can grow in. It seems to stem partly out of conviction about God and the need for the gospel and partly prudence and technique.
If it’s any encouragement, even the apostles were misunderstood in scripture when they shared the gospel.
Acts 26: 24 - 25, 29
And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words…….. I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”
Thanks @irris again for this very practical question! Blessings for your future conversations!