Blend with Your Non-Christian Friend

Bible Reading: Acts 2:43-41

Each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved. Acts 2:47

YOU WOULDN’T WRESTLE an alligator without first getting some helpful hints. So here are some helpful hints about witnessing. These practical strategies won’t take the bite out of every nonbeliever, but they might keep you from getting eaten alive:

1. Meet non-Christians on their turf. Learn what your non-Christian friends like to do. You can get involved in your friends’ interests without ditching your personal standards. (Example: “I’ll go to the basketball game with you, but I won’t go drinking with you afterward.”)
2. Arouse spiritual curiosity. How you act, talk, and think tells your non-Christian friends, “I’ve found something you really want and need.” The way you handle conflicts with parents and friends, the way you respond to problems with grades and teachers, and the way you defuse the pressure to join your non-Christian friends in doing something wrong will make them wonder what’s different about you. You arouse curiosity, of course, only if you are walking in the Spirit daily. Another way to stir up curiosity is by tossing out thought-provoking questions like, “What do you think happens after you die?” “What do you think God is like?” “What’s your greatest fear?” If you show interest in what your friends think and feel-without pouncing on them in judgment-you’re more likely to get receptive ears when you share Christ with them.
3. Pray for opportunities and confidence to share Christ. Remember: Just being a friend to unbelievers won’t tum them into Christians. They need to understand the gospel and respond to it personally by trusting Christ. Your big prayer should be, “Lord, get my friends’ hearts ready to hear and respond to the gospel. Give me confidence to talk with them about you.” It’s likely you’ll have to begin the conversation. You can start with, “Do you ever think about God? I do. I think about him a lot.”

Make no mistake: Your ultimate goal in your friendships with non-Christians is to share Christ with them and persuade them to trust him as Savior and Lord. You might get a great chance to communicate the Good News to a friend after only a few days or weeks of being friends. If not, be faithful in your friendship and trust the Holy Spirit to help you wisely time when to dive in.

REFLECT: What do you think your best strategy is for sharing Christ?

PRAY: Pray about that!