B08 Levels of Sharing
List of the Online Lessons: A B C D E F G H
B08 Levels of Sharing
Would you say it’s easy for you to start talking to unbelievers about Jesus? If so, you have my admiration! For most Christians, this is almost unimaginable and they don’t even try. They admitted „it didn’t work“ or even that „it’s not appropriate.“ If this is a little or a lot of problem for you (as it is for me!), can you imagine a smaller task than talking directly to someone about Jesus?
1) Smile and greeting
Maybe just a smile and greeting. Best towards a same-sex person; just a smile and „hello“.
2) One sentence
If they answer your greeting and smile too, could you exchange one sentence? „Nice weather“, „beautiful surroundings“, „you have a nice dog…“?
3) A few more sentences
Sometimes I will soon find out the race and age of the dog – so we will say a few more sentences together. Still just about ordinary things. Nothing „spiritual“! But that develops my courage, creativity, and also naturalness. You know, talking to people about Jesus and the Bible is not my natural gift. I had to learn it hard!
I will tell you one of my great life discoveries:
What I have learned well is natural for me!
What I have learned well is then natural for people around me!
When I try again and think about it, I break the barriers I had so far. And that new skill is gradually becoming a natural part of my thinking and contact with people.
Maybe, you’re a nice person worth meeting, already. If you’re not one yet, you can become one. Just by smiling and exchanging a sentence with them, or two, three…
4) Something deeper, of a „value“
When this ordinary human contact succeeds, there will come a time for something deeper, of a „value“. For example, I focus on young dads. When I meet one playing with a small child, I ask, “This is your first? It’s great that you care of him! Dads are very important to children. I have three grown kids and it is fantastic…“ Some dads don’t know what to do with my note, but some then develop an interesting conversation. By the way, it must not be an instruction; I’m just happy to see the two of you together…
5) Change their mood
The next level of contact or sharing I would call „change their mood“. I don’t know if anyone has already told you: you have influence! Your smile has an effect, your interest and the question have an effect, it will cause something in that person!
I talked about this effect at a weekend event and we went for a walk in the afternoon. We came to a snack bar, where a terribly angry saleswoman was shouting ugly at a young helper. I said to Andrew from our group: „Andrew, do something to make the lady smile before we leave…“ We were leaving, the lady smiled and said, „I have never had such customers here, ever!“ And she waved goodbye to us…
What did Andrew do to change the mood of the angry lady like that? I’ll leave the thinking to you…
6) Spiritual touches
When I brought some form of „blessing“ to meeting with a person, that he feels well with me, and it is helpful to him, it’s time for spiritual touch. In the first phase I did not bring the spiritual touches for them, but for myself. To learn it, to get relaxed!
And people often pass the ball to us. „Now you have to pray that it won’t rain,“ a worker said who was working at the outside of our the house; the weather forecast was not favorable at all. I raised my eyes and said, „Jesus, please keep it from rain here till tomorrow.“ The next day, the worker said, „This God is listening to you, somehow.“
7) Jesus, the Bible
And a long conversation followed, directly about Jesus and the Bible. I’ve found that when I’ve been through previous levels of connection with someone – or sometimes you can jump straight to the third, fourth, fifth – it’s easy; for me and for the person. Sometimes I need two-hours conversations, but sometimes five minutes is enough. And if it doesn’t lead to anything spiritual, it doesn’t matter. Still, I’m learning a lot! It becomes easier, more natural for me.
I just presented seven levels to you that helped me to stat sharing Jesus. Which one is still easy for you? Pray for it and actively start testing the next level…
Lord Jesus, thank you for the leniency you have with us, and for constantly giving us new opportunities.