Preserved in my scrapbook, resting on the highest shelf are two portraits. They are pictures of two young men within my circle of influence. Both men were dear friends to my sons.
I look at their pictures whenever I’m fearful about sharing the gospel. One reminds me of a soul lost and the second reminds me of a lost soul.
Embracing the pain, I remember the one thing I would do different. I would overcome the fear of a spiritual conversation.
If I had known, a dear friend was trapped without food or water. I would have led the rescue team. My eyes failed to see they were teetering towards a dangerous lifestyle. I never guessed one young life would be cut so short.
At the time learning to honor and obey God wasn’t an agenda to rush. My mind envisioned a lifetime before them. Reasoning hoped they would discover a connection to what happens when we disobey God. They would recognize when we are in a proper relationship with God, we receive blessings through all events including difficult circumstances.
The fact they came to church with my family comforts me. There’s a question circling. What if I helped them to determine they were created for a relationship with God?
Missed opportunities motivate us to be intentional.
Maybe you have friends or family who have attended church with you and haven’t
had the opportunity for a deeper spiritual conversation.
We don’t need to be trained in theology or counseling. All our satisfied heart needs to understand is truly experiencing God. You may feel clueless how to communicate the gospel and worried you don’t have all the answers.
Imagine a tiny finger pointing at the sky and asking, “Why is the sky blue?” We don’t all have a science background to realize blue light is scattered. And we wouldn’t be worried if we couldn’t explain this inquisitive investigation. Not knowing the answer doesn’t disqualify us from teaching the child what we have learned about the sky. We wouldn’t avoid the topic of the sky and we wouldn’t expect only teachers or librarians to respond.
So why do we push our friends towards other “qualified” people?
The Lord sets tasks to share what He has done for us. One problem we may encounter
is presenting the gospel in a clear and simple way. Our comfort zone may direct the person to a pastor or Christian counselor.
Think of when a friend invited you to church for the first time. Did you hear confusing words, phrases, and concepts? Did a friend listen to your questions?
A qualified professional is not necessary. We can explain how we received salvation and everlasting life through Jesus Christ. We don’t need to respond to all questions. We can lend an ear with warmth, empathy, and patience while guiding to scripture.
While we may not fathom how to address all the inquiries, we can show Christ’s love by paying attention to the person and attempting to address their needs or concerns. We can use scripture and allow it to speak with power into a person’s situation.
Next Week:
To learn helpful and simple scripture verses for spiritual conversations, I hope you join me back here next week.
Opportunity Right Now
Leave a comment to share what the Lord has done for you. It will encourage others who may be experiencing similar circumstances.
Challenge for the Week:
Let’s be intentional this week to share with one person what the Lord has done for us.
Have we been going up and down in business, and are those round about us as yet unaware of our Christian character? Have we never spoken to them the Word of Life? Lord, arouse us to a deep concern for all with whom we come in contact from day to day.
Charles Spurgeon
Abide in Christ's Love 
When God prompts us to have a spiritual talk, He has already prepared the heart of the others and He will give you the words to say!
I think the older we get the more we realize how important these spiritual talks can be. We can also be attacked in our minds with condemnation for missed opportunities. But instead of looking back at what we can’t change, we can use these thoughts to pursue the good conversations and leave regret behind. Thanks for sharing on this important topic.
So true, not to look back but to use these thoughts to pursue good conversations. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Indeed. We are called to walk in boldness of faith;but, all to often embracing boldness is scary and uncomfortable. May we take the opportunities given to share the love and goodness of God with others.
Thank you for sharing this post.
Yes, we are called to trust the Lord. But I have feared losing relationships and hesitated. Yes, may we always share the love and goodness of God with others. Thank you for taking time to read and comment.
Great post. I had a friend come visit last week. I have prayed for her for 12 years. During her visit she asked what it meant to believe. She accepted Jesus. God reminded me how perseverance pays off.
Praise the Lord for his mercy and Grace for your friend! I love it when our families and friends ask questions. Such a blessing to be given that opportunity. 💕
April, yes, yes, yes! You’ve given excellent reasons that should overcome all objections to sharing the gospel. God gave us this purpose, and we should obey. Such blessing comes when we join His purpose.
Absolutely! We are blessed when we obey regardless of what happens. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.