As a 19 year old college student who grew up in church, I have heard countless times the "right" way to tell others about Jesus Christ. And for the longest time, I always wondered if this was the best way. I was taught to initiate a conversation, whether it be friend or stranger, and simply start by asking them, "If you were to die right now, do you know where you would go?" Ideally, they would give an answer of "No, I don't. Please, tell me more..." and then you would go on to tell them about the Good News and you would lead them to salvation in a matter of minutes. In theory this sounds like a great idea. And I have heard countless stories of missionaries meeting strangers in taxicabs and street corners and using this method and it working flawlessly. And while I wouldn't go as far as to say this way of evangelism is an ineffective method, I feel that there is a much more productive way of going about it.
Friendships.
Friendships are a crucial part of life. No matter how shy or outgoing you are, we all strive to have friendships in this life. As a Christian, I feel the best way to share my faith is through loving others, especially nonbelievers. By showing someone who doesn't believe in Jesus Christ the love he has given me, I am evangelizing right there. I feel that a bond, a connection, an actual friendship must be formed first and foremost. When that happens, you have formed a trust. Only after they have your trust will they truly listen to and respect what you say.
Now some may argue, "What if God comes back before you actually tell them? You wasted all that time when you could've spent a few minutes just telling them!" While my answer is certainly not entirely biblically based, I have the belief that if you are earnestly working on a friend in leading them to Christ, it will be worked out in God's time, not our own.
This is simply something that has really been weighing on me recently, and I felt I needed to say it.
-matthew
4:52 pm
White As Snow
Jon Foreman
Album - Winter - EP
