This is important to keep in mind because we do not need to concern ourselves with building bridges. In our culture, we are very focused on bridge building, but God is the One who does that. The people with whom we’re speaking will reveal the bridges God has prepared for us when we listen. We should also keep in mind that God wants to save people even more than they want to be saved, and certainly more than we want them to be saved. So all we have to do is just trust God to nudge the conversation in the way it should go, allow those bridges to be revealed and be prepared to share our testimony when the opportunity presents itself. If we are faithful and follow this model, our interactions will develop in a very natural way that prevents us from feeling the need to preach, persuade or argue, which is not a very effective way to bring people to the Lord. Although we are all called to evangelize, the mandate is not to force the Gospel on people who don’t want to hear it. The disciples were willing to die for the sake of the Gospel. But as bold as they were, there is not one place in Scripture where we see them forcing the Gospel on anyone who didn’t want to hear it. They were sensitive to the people around them. Pray For Opportunities One of the best ways to ensure we are being sensitive to others is to pray through every conversation. This allows the Holy Spirit to guide us as to whether or not the person is open to receiving what we have to say. We should pray not just that we remain sensitive to the person to whom we’re speaking but also that God would open their heart to our message. Scripture tells us we have not because we ask not (James 4:2-3). So, if we ask and the Holy Spirit doesn’t steer the conversation in a direction that would allow us to share our personal testimony, we should have no guilt in walking away from the conversation. When we love and trust in the Lord, we can be confident we are going out, fortified with faith in Christ, knowing that He will have our backs and it will go well. We have to be obedient to follow His command, whether we feel like it or not. If we do that and go forth in love, it can’t be a bad situation. Prepare Your Testimony We should always be ready to share our personal testimony. If we prepare and practice, working it into conversation will become the most natural thing in the world. As with anything else, when we first begin sharing our testimony, it will feel very awkward, and there will be a high risk of failure. But as we gain more experience and go through trial and error, it will start to feel more natural. And if we stay with it, we will find that all of the awkwardness and nerves were worth it when we bring glory to God by successfully and confidently sharing our message. Engage In Intentional, Authentic Conversation In addition to honing the way we share our testimony, we need to work to become better conversationalists. We will be better tools for the Lord when we can relate well to and speak naturally with others. This is another area where we may not feel spiritually gifted. For example, we may view others as having the “gift of gab” and feel we will never be able to interact as easily with people. But we can’t let this hold us back. As with any other area where we struggle, we will improve if we commit ourselves to the practice. Something that helps in this area is the realization that every conversation is a door, and the Holy Spirit has control over it whether or not it opens. If we’re wise, we will nudge gently to see if it is going to open. Sometimes the door will open right up and fly off the hinges! If it does, we can go ahead and walk through it. But other times we’ll find the door is locked tight. If the door doesn’t open on that particular day, we need to respect that. No one loves or has more power in the life of the person with whom we’re speaking than the Holy Spirit. His greatest desire is for every person to know Him forever. So if the door is not open, we do not need try to force the conversation further and risk destroying the relationship.
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