Bible Reading: Colossians 4:2-6
Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone. Colossians 4:6
MICHAEL HAD finally talked Emma into going out with him — provided they made it a double date, she said. Michael brought his best buddy, Eric, and Emma dragged along her cousin Heather. While Michael, Emma, and Heather tried to talk about things like sports and school, Eric sat like a lump on his chair, uttering nothing. He acted as if he was bored and wished he wasn’t there. And Michael could see that the deadly silence was going to ruin his chance for a second date with Emma.
After the guys dropped off the girls, Michael slugged Eric hard in the arm — and Eric had no idea why. “Your conversation didn’t exactly sparkle,” Michael explained. “You looked like a corpse and made me look stupid. If bringing you was all the better I could do, Emma will never want to go out with me again.”
Guess what? Meaningful friendships take meaningful conversation. How close can you get to someone whose entire vocabulary consists of grunts? Here’s how you start a good conversation and keep going: Ask questions. So look over the questions below and pick out four or five you really like. Memorize them. Practice using them tomorrow. And to help these stick in your brain, the first letters of the words from the various categories form the word FRIENDSHIP.
Faith: How did you become a Christian? When?
Reasonable plan: What goals do you have? What do you want to do in life?
Involvements: What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
Experiences: How do you spend your summers?
Needs: How can I help you? What can I do for you?
Dreams: What kind of impact would you like to have on the world?
School: Which is your favorite class? Least favorite? Why?
Home: What do you like best about your parents?
Interests: What do you most like to do in your free time?
Prayer requests: How can I pray for you?
See it? If you can ask good questions, you don’t even need to do much talking. You just need to know how to listen.
REFLECT: What do you talk about when you meet strangers? How good are you at showing an interest in others by asking questions?
PRAY: Ask God to help you pay attention to others — not just to make friends, but to make a difference in their lives.
