Articles
A Simple Way to Share Christ with Strangers
A Simple Way to Share Christ With Strangers
“How are you?” That’s a question we all hear and ask multiple times virtually every day. The way we answer that question can open the door to spiritual conversations, even with perfect strangers. Those conversations can lead to opportunities to teach the gospel.
When someone asks how you’re doing, instead of answering in typical fashion with some bland response such as “Good” or “Fine,” consider answering in such a manner that will get the attention of the individual in a positive, inspirational way. For example, you could say with a big smile, “I’m incredibly blessed,” or “God has been good to me”, or my personal favorite, “Better than I deserve.”
I have found in my experience that, over and over, these types of answers put a smile on people’s faces and often lead them to make a comment or ask a question about what I said. Recently I used the “Better than I deserve” response in Publix with the cashier as I was checking out, which prompted her to say bluntly but in a kind tone, “I think you deserve what you have.” We then entered into a short conversation about blessings, and in the matter of about thirty seconds I had explained to the cashier, as well as the bagger, (not to mention another shopper at the next register who had turned around to hear my reply) that I’m better than I deserve because I’m a sinner who has been forgiven of my sins. At that point the bagger, right there on the spot, began confessing how terrible of a person he used to be, and he repeatedly assured me that agreed wholeheartedly with what I said. You know what I call that bagger? A prospect.
In evangelism we should always be looking for door-openers. If you never get your foot in the door, the door may never be opened. Suppose Jesus had never asked the woman at the well for a drink of water. Then they never would have talked about living water, and she quite possibly may never have learned that Jesus is the Messiah. We should imitate Jesus by opening up conversations in such a way that they can lead quite naturally into spiritual matters. One of the simplest ways to do this is by using an inspirational greeting.
Jesus called us “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). Paul instructed, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity” (Col. 4:5). Most of us interact with multiple people everyday. Many of these individuals we’ve never met before. Virtually every interaction is an opportunity to shine our light before others in one way or another. Ask yourself whether you are using these opportunities wisely. I fear that often we are wasting opportunities simply by putting no thought into how best to respond to the everyday question, “How are you?”
