Tips to Start Faith-Sharing
Primed for Ignition
Most people know me as the car guy who loves perfectly restored old cars, like the black '57 Chevy that was my first car and the one I dated Karen in. I recently presented Detroit Autorama's famous Ridler Award to an insanely beautiful '31 Chevy that sat out in a doorless barn for twenty years. It only took twenty—thousand man hours and two million dollars to bring it back. I can't say enough abut this car, its owners, and the team that build it. You can't get any better. But watching God restore people is a thousand times more exciting because it's eternal.
Faith Sharing 101
People are hurting, and no one cares. That's why it's a big event when you care enough to stop and listen and love on them—allowing God to love them through you. Jesus said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35, NKJV). You'll be amazed how fast complete strangers will share their deepest concerns with you as the Holy Spirit confirms the genuineness of your love for them. Always remember that God is "salvationing" us when He Loves us and He's "salvationing" others through us when we love on them.
While grabbing a bite to eat at a local restaurant, we asked our server, like we do most servers, if she had anything we could pray for her about. This is entry—level faith sharing 101. Anyone can do this. Just think of how often you're being served by someone who is most likely hurting and in need of prayer.
The key is to get the server's name when they first arrive at your table, then build a relationship while the order is being taken, and then ending by adding one more question: Is there anything I can pray for you about? Most of the time you'll get a serious, if not emotional, response. Again, almost everyone is hurting and believes no one cares. And when people are hurting, they never turn down prayers.
Even when they say no, it still works. Just say, "Then we'll thank God for giving you such a wonderful life!" You never want to make anyone uncomfortable. Their guardedness tells you they don't want to go there, so don't go there. Just love on them, tip them well and tell them when you're leaving, "God bless you!" You'll still move them closer to Jesus.
Being loving and generous moves people closer to Jesus only when they know that you're a Christian. If they don't know you're a Christian, nothing happens spiritually, and you missed a great opportunity. Too many Christians believe that being a good person is being a good witness. But the world is full of good people doing good things that have nothing to do with God. Doing good things can be addictive for all the wrong reasons, the chief of which is being seen as a good person rather than a Christ follower.
Connecting the dots is one of the fun parts of faith sharing. Look for ways to connect other people to God in every conversation without raising eyebrows, saying things like, "These are my friends from church," or "Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful day," or quoting something your pastor said or saying, "God bless you," when you're leaving. It's like sport, finding different ways to reference God.
This is what the Great Commission is all about. All of us are surrounded by hurting people who have no idea that God loves them, wants to protect them, and wants them to spend eternity with Him. But, perhaps even more amazing, I'm the one who benefits most from every faith sharing experience. There's nothing that compares with knowing that God just used you to move someone closer to Him. He sets the appointments and give you the words, but you need to follow His nudge. That's when you'll enjoy all the blessings God has planned for you.
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