Many
of us will now be enjoying the carefree summer season, with warm weather,
long days and light nights. This type of environment is the perfect
atmosphere for extended conversations in the garden, at a barbecue,
or during a stroll in the countryside.
One of the things which many of us find difficult is learning the
art of ‘gossiping the Gospel’. In other words, being able
to speak spontaneously and naturally about the things which are closest
to our hearts. The first step in initiating Gospel conversations is
to prepare the ground through prayer. Simply ask the Lord to go before
you and create opportunities for ‘divine appointments’.
This is a courageous prayer to pray because we then need to remain
open to the Lord’s prompting and not miss opportunities which
may then arise.
St James offers some wise advice in his letter when he says: ‘
be quick to listen but slow to speak’ (James 1:19). The starting
point in any good Gospel conversation is in fact listening. We need
to listen to where people are at and then we can speak into their
situations rather than talking at them. It is important, however,
to listen attentively and respectfully and not just use the situation
as a vehicle for putting over our views. Most people have a favorite
subject which they like to speak about – themselves! If we take
time to really listen to someone we can be alert to possible entry
points where we can share something of the good news.
A good way to develop a Gospel conversation is to share a brief testimony
of some way in which the Lord has been at work in our lives. This
is especially powerful if it relates to what has already been shared
by the other person. Try to keep testimony stories brief in order
to avoid being too verbose or preachy . It is important to be natural
in the sharing remembering it is a conversation not a lecture or monologue.
Inorder to avoid alienating the listener steer clear of religious
jargon and cliches.
There are two basic personality traits which it may be useful to
consider. Some people enjoy talking and are very happy to chat away.
They perhaps need to pray for discipline and focus because chatty
people can get so carried away with the chat that they miss opportunities
to really enter into the heart of ‘gospel conversation’.
Conversely, some people find talking difficult. Here courage is called
for and a reliance upon the Lord trusting that God will supply the
words. The important thing is not to hold back but to take the risk
and begin to enter into conversation. A scripture which I have found
encouraging is Isaiah 50:4 ‘The Lord has given me a disciples
tongue. So that I may know how to reply to the wearied he provides
me with speech.’
Perhaps you can recognise yourself in these two extremes. Be assured
that the Lord will use you as the person who you are, he isn’t
restricted by our personalities. In fact, he takes delight in using
each of us in our diversity.
Over the Summer use the opportunity of the warmer weather and the
less hurried holiday environment to be creative in your evangelism.
Invite friends round for a barbecue, meal or drink and if appropriate
use the setting as an occasion to ‘gossip the Gospel’.
