We are humans, so we talk about stuff other humans discuss – the weather, our families, school, work, sports, restaurants, the weekend, etc. At the same time, we are Christians, so we also talk about Jesus, his word, his church, what he did in the past, what he’s doing in the present, and what he will do in the future.
Talking about the weather, our hobbies, or a bungling sports team seems easy enough. Having spiritual conversations is more difficult. I’ll save the reason for the difficulty for another time. For now, here are some suggestions for how to begin a spiritual conversation.
Ask if you can pray for them or for someone else in their life. I cannot recall ever having this request turned down. Whether someone in the lobby of our church building or someone I meet sitting at a table at McDonald’s, all have accepted the offer and told me of something that was going on in their life, opening an immediate opportunity to talk to God on their behalf and laying the groundwork for future conversation.
Chat about a shared Christian experience. For example, last Sunday morning we witnessed believer baptism in our gathered worship. We should chat with each other about the testimony we heard, the beauty of humility that takes place in immersion, the visual proof that the Lord is saving people, and the hope of generational Christianity to come. You can start with, “Wasn’t that great to see her baptized!”
Ask another Christian how they became a Christian. For every Christian there is the mutual answer, “I believed the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Beyond the common response is the individual story of God’s work of grace through a family member, a co-worker, a gospel tract, or an unexplained desire to read the Bible. You might say something like, “I don’t think I’ve heard how you became a Christian, but I’d love to hear the story. Would you tell it to me?”
Share a Bible verse or passage with another person. We know the Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, maybe we can share the light with another walking a similar trail. The text message might be as simple as, “I read this verse today, and the Lord helped me by his word. I wanted to give God glory by telling someone else.” Then include the verse.
Ask another Christian for aid as you work through a situation. I don’t know all the Bible. You probably don’t either. The Lord has given the church to us for the strengthening, building, and maturing of each other (Ephesians 4:12-13). You could say, “Would you help me think through something? I don’t know where to turn in the Bible for the issue I am facing.”
Listen to what others are saying. The reality is people engage in spiritual conversations All. The. Time. whether they realize it or not. There is no topic nor experience that is outside the mind of God. All of life is a spiritual conversation – health, aging, money, children, family, career, marriage, entertainment – all of it centers on what God says about the matter. As you listen or when the chat is done, have a spiritual conversation with yourself. “What does God think about what we talked about? Do I think like God does about that matter?”
There’s a pattern in the suggestions. Did you notice it? The pattern is initiation. More often than not, I suspect spiritual conversations occur intentionally, that is, we make a choice to have them. We don’t wait for others to pursue God talk with us, we engage others in spiritual talks. We are Christians after all. What should be more natural to us than talking about our Lord?
As always, thanks for reading, and I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.