But What If I Don’t Know What To Say? - June 6

Read James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Reflect

How confident are you when it comes to talking about your faith? What do you think you could do to increase your confidence? 

When I talk with other people about evangelism and outreach, I often hear the same thing. People say things like, “I just don’t know what to say!” People express feeling unprepared and ill-equipped. Maybe you can relate. I know I can. Evangelism often feels so complicated.

And it is complicated. Well, the Gospel is simple but people are complicated. Some people have heard of Christianity and others haven’t. Some are open to faith conversations and others aren’t. Some people have had positive experiences with Christians in the past and some have had negative ones. Many people have preconceived ideas about Christianity that may be true or false. Plus, there are so many different other religions out there…how are we supposed to know how to reach each and every person with the Gospel?

That’s why I am so comforted by today’s verse. James, told us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it. Sharing our faith with others certainly demands a lot of wisdom. But we can rest assured that if we seek out wisdom from God, we will receive it. In the Christian life, we have to depend on God for all sorts of things and evangelism is no different. As we share our faith, we have to humbly depend on the Lord for wisdom.

Greg Koukl, in his book Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions explained his “modest goal” when he enters into faith conversations. Greg isn’t trying to convert every person he talks to because he knows not everyone is ready to make a genuine commitment to Christ. Instead, he’s simply trying to give them something to think about.

Greg wrote: “All I want to do is put a stone in someone’s shoe. I want to give that person something worth thinking about, something he can’t ignore because it continually pokes at him in a good way. Think of it this way. When a batter gets up to the plate, his goal isn’t to win the ball game. That’s an extended process that takes a team effort. He just wants a chance to get a hit. If he connects, he might get on base and into scoring position. Or he may drive another batter home even if he never makes it to first. In the same way, I never try to hit the winning run. I just want to get up to bat.”

But before he steps up the metaphorical plate, Greg asks God for wisdom. He says, “I encourage you to consider the strategy I use when God opens a door of opportunity for me. I pray quickly for wisdom, then ask myself, What one thing can I say in this circumstance, what one question can I ask, what single idea can I offer that will get the other person thinking? Then I simply try to put a stone in someone’s shoe.”

The Gospel message is simple and we should share what we believe clearly and use Scripture as our guide. But figuring out people’s reservations, preconceived notions, and barriers to accepting Christ can be complicated. The good news is that God has given us everything we need to proclaim the Gospel. He’s given us His Word and His Holy Spirit to help us. He’s promised wisdom if we ask for it. And, He’s promised to always be with us as we carry out our Great Commission (Matthew 28:20).

If you feel overwhelmed or stressed about sharing your faith, remember, it’s your job to tell the truth and point the way to salvation. But ultimately, God is sovereign over salvation. Koukl encouraged: “We are not alone in this. Yes, each of us has an important role to play, but all the pressure is on the Lord. Sharing the gospel is our task, but salvation is God’s responsibility…I focus on being faithful, but I trust God to be effective.” We step up to the plate, but He wins the game.

Respond

Lord, I confess that sometimes I try to avoid conversations about my faith because I just don’t know what to say and I’m worried I won’t be effective. Thank You for the promise that You will give me wisdom when I need it. Help me as I seek to simply be faithful in sharing the Gospel. Help me rely on Your Word and your wisdom to navigate the conversations. I trust You with the results. Amen.

Reveal

From now on, focus on being faithful when sharing your faith. If you don’t know what to say, pray. Ask God for wisdom! Then, look for ways that you can put a stone in someone’s shoe to get them thinking.