By GUEST WRITER
I work an office job where I desire to be vocal about my faith in Christ, but I struggle with knowing what to say. What are some practical ways to start a conversation that can lead to sharing the Gospel?
answered by: Monica C. | cO, USA
I understand your struggle and admire your desire to be used by God in your workplace. This is the kind of pursuit that we can always grow in, no matter how good we become at it. I currently work in a marketing agency with 300+ coworkers, and I’ve held jobs in other contexts such as banking and retail, and can relate to you. Over the years, as I’ve sought to share Christ, I have watched God unfold miracles — from many small conversations to a number of people turning to Christ! I’d be happy to share a few helpful tips with you that I’ve learned over the years as you seek to be a bright and shining light at work.
1. Start by building your thinking from Scripture. God is the best teacher for how to witness and for motivating us to do it. A verse that has been particularly powerful in my own life is 2 Corinthians 4:13, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken, we also believe, and therefore speak.” In addition to this, I have a list of 47 verses in my Bible that God has used over the years to teach me and equip me to witness. I’d encourage you to pursue your own study of the Word and compile a similar list that will equip you with a Scriptural foundation. The Gospel is a message that does require us to activate our vocal chords, open up our mouth, and speak.
2. Don’t neglect prayer. Pray that God would highlight specific people at your workplace. Ask Him for the opportunity to speak to them, and pray in faith for the words you should say. Evangelism is a task that has a supernatural end in view (the salvation of a soul), and it cannot be done without God doing the work. Many times we neglect to give prayer its rightful place, and therefore we fail to see results. Pray twice as much as you have been praying and see how God moves!
3. Take a few moments ahead of time to think of what you could say. Think through a couple of conversation starters or lines that can transition a conversation from common topics (football, weather, food, etc.) into spiritual things. Write these out and practice role-playing with another believer. Be creative about how to create exercises for yourself, and seek to make it natural and not “canned” or tacked on.
4. Be strategic about developing opportunities. What will lead to good opportunities to converse in more detail with one of your unbelieving coworkers? Have someone over for dinner, go to coffee, or meet up for frisbee. Opportunities will arise as you seek to develop real, genuine relationships with people in your workplace — and this can be hard work!
5. Be sure you’re choosing appropriate times to share with others. If you are reprimanded at work for talking when you should have been working — you’re not suffering persecution for the name of Christ, you’re suffering for breaking the rules. So be purposeful about being an exemplary employee while also looking for ways to leverage every opportunity for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. One year at the company summer picnic, I had an incredible two-hour conversation with a Mormon coworker. At other times, I’ve used a lunch break or a car ride to talk to people in more depth.
6. Don’t succumb to the fear of man. Overcoming the fear of man takes practice, and practice requires you to take that first scary step to actually start practicing. Pursue overcoming fear by the power and grace of God, and He WILL be found faithful.
May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you with words to speak boldly to your coworkers.
