This is a Patrons choice episode.
When we think of evangelisation, most people generally think BIG like ‘Martin Luther King’ level, or Chris Stefanik level, or even becoming a missionary in some third world country. Some people are called to this, but not everyone. Yet, every Christian has been given the command to go and share the good news, to preach the gospel. So what does that actually look like in our lives?
Ask yourself these questions
We have to ask ourselves what state in life am I in? And where is my power of influence?
Your power of influence, Padre, as a priest is VERY different, to my power of influence as a lay Christian. A parent’s power of influence is very different to a highschool students. These aren’t limitations, these are our battle fields. This is the space we’re called to operate in.
Ok, so what might that look like?
Parents – Be a witness to your spouse – you’re a team. Work together and help each other. Your spouse is there to help you get to heaven, so be a witness of the Gospel to your spouse first.
THEN – raising children – which means what? Being well formed to start with – how do we do that, go and learn your faith, ask questions, seek our resources. Become thirsty for truth so that you can be satisfied by the one who quenches our thirst, and then share him with your children. Be a witness of the love of God to your children.
Single adults – Perhaps your space of influence is within your work, among your colleagues, house mates, and friends – learn who you are, and your skill set, the gifts you’ve been granted and serve those around you through that skillset with Love.
Most people when they hear ‘evangelise at work’ freak out, in our culture that’s become so anti-christian, that’s a really scary thought. Especially after COVID where job security is already fragile, adding a sense of going around evangelising colleagues seems entirely unrealistic. You don’t have to be hitting your colleagues with a bible to evangelise, or guilt tripping your housemates with what they should and shouldn’t do regarding their faith to be a ‘good Christian’. Sometimes we just need to love.
Evangelising in the workplace
Evangelising in the workplace could be as simple as crossing yourself before you have your lunch, honestly answering the question ‘what are you planning on doing this weekend?’ with ’…on Sunday I’m going to church and resting’ instead of ‘oh nothing much’. Or putting up a cross or a bible verse one your office desk, or at times even respectfully saying ‘I hear what you’re saying, but as a Christian I have a different perspective on that, would you be open to hearing a different view?’.
Different levels of evangelising
- Silent witness
- Circle of influence – drips and drops
- Direct preaching and offering truth – should never happen without being covered in, initiated by, and through charity
Practical way of approaching faith-related conversation
- Don’t be afraid to say, “I’m Christian”. Just do it authentically with humility. There’s nothing wrong with being confident in our faith, but sometimes our confidence and assurance is so strong it can come across as intimidating. Especially for people who have been wounded, or witnesses wounds from people associated with a particular religion or church. We don’t need to feel like we’re responsible for that, but we should be sensitive to their hurt.
- I’ve found just truthfully saying ‘well actually, I’m Christian, and I find it really hard to say that in this kind of setting because I fear backlash, and I’m not trying to hurt anyone’. Usually that evokes a kind of ‘oh! I didn’t realise you found it hard to say that’. It usually lets people have an opportunity to have compassion for you, and if they ask what it means to me to be Christian, I thank them for asking the question and stick to ONE VERY simple thing like ‘Oh, thank you for asking, I really appreciate that, I really just try to live with the love of Jesus, which for me means asking am I living a life of service and laying my life down for others’. I don’t go into the ins and outs of rules, and traditions, and who does what and where. I go back to the one thing that everyone wants to win at the end of the day, the one thing we all want to see reign over the globe ‘love’. It’s just that as Christians we have a different view of what love means than a non-christian. But all of those conversations are for later when a better relationship can be formed.
Exciting news! We have another Book Study coming soon!
TBG (Truth, Beauty, Goodness)
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