Having conversations with people is a normal occurrence, but stirring those conversations towards spirituality and Christ can be a bit difficult. Starting conversation with people sometimes is not easy, and it is pertinent to note that a conversation involves communication which is founded on mutual respect.
You should know that conversation involves questions and answers, sharing of opinions and ideas, active listening and use of words which we carefully select and thought through before responding.
In present times, most of our conversations are without biblical insight due to fear of being rebuked; therefore, we decide to keep our opinions to ourselves. But as genuine Christians, we should be bold and confident to talk about Christ.
Proverbs 25:11 “a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”
As believers, we need to imbibe in us the attitude of chipping in Christ in every one of our conversations. As the Bible can serve as a guide in whatever situation we find ourselves, we should make it our duty to spread the word wherever we go, just as it was commanded in the scriptures (Deut 6:6-7).
We need to learn how to involve Christ in our conversation with friends, family, co-workers and even strangers. In Colossians 4:6 Apostle Paul said, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
This means that whatever conversation we are having as Christians, we should not be shy to use that avenue to share the gospel of Christ and tell others of our faith.
But we should also apply wisdom so as not to scare the receiver of your message away before actually getting to tell them about our Lord Jesus.
Most people would not give listening ears once you start your conversation with phrases like being born again, conversion, repentance etc. They would actually feel like you are there to disrupt what they are doing and cut you short with words like “I’ve heard that before.” But there are ways to start your conversation that would earn you a listening ear and give you the opportunity to share your faith in Christ.
Ways we can turn the conversation towards Christ
1. Your discussion should be Normal
when having a conversation with others always be yourself. Talk to them with authenticity and not like your interaction has to follow a specific pattern so as to involve Christ. When you Converse genuinely with people, interactions flow naturally, and you can easily channel the conversation towards Christ.
2. Your speech should be favourable
In (Eph 4:2 ) Apostle Paul cautioned the Ephesian church to mind the words that come out from their mouth and that only words that edify and ministers grace to others should proceed from their mouth.
If as a believer, people know you for always communicating with vulgar words, and you are not always truthful when interacting with others, there is no way you can bring up a conversation about Christ. Learn to tame your tongue and speak in a loving, gentle and thoughtful ways at all times.
3. Ask The Right Questions
You can start by asking questions about things that are important to people. You can ask questions on morality, death, culture, religion, etc., and see how God fits in those situations from their answers.
Asking questions would make them relax, feel open and give their opinions without holding back. With this, you can arouse their attention and tune them to an interactive mode where you can connect their answers to Christ and have your way.
4. Don’t overpower
The best way to strike a conversation is to ask questions and listen. Listen to people when they talk without interrupting as this allows them to express themselves and their feelings.
When you give them full attention, they would want a response from you, and that’s your cue to share your faith and believe in Christ picking points from their response. Having given them undivided attention while they talk, they will do the same for you as you speak. Whatever you say to them at that point will definitely sink in.
5. Begin with casual conversations
You can start by asking questions about how their day went, their job, businesses, family, how they spent their weekend. These are interactive questions for a casual conversation.
By doing this, you’ll be able to get some necessary information about the other person and build an impression of their personality and beliefs.
The answers you get from these questions can be used as a starting point in directing the conversation towards Christ. You can reply to their questions using bible references and citing other Christian teachings.
6. Wear an illustration
When people see you doing something out of the blue, they would want to know what triggered the behaviour and why. An illustration will make them throw questions at you, thereby creating an avenue for you to share your message through your reply.
7. Use current events
In (Luke 13:1-5), Jesus used this approach while teaching. You can start by discussing the current event and use it to turn people’s attention to God.
For example, a bomb explosion in a country where lots of people lost their lives or a new governmental reform about a topical issue concerning morals.
You can begin with questions like; Do you think God is happy about this? Or what does the Bible say about situations like this?
