‘Pray that we can preach the secret that God has made known about Christ.’ Colossians 4:3 NCV
We’re called to introduce others to God, but we don’t always feel confident in answering the difficult questions. Fortunately, there are plenty of other things we can do to show a friend who God really is. Here are some ideas:
(1) Let them join you when you pray. This will help them to understand that prayer is how we build a lifelong friendship with God. It isn’t anything scary, formal, or complicated (although we can all struggle with prayer occasionally). It’s simply a conversation with a loving Father. God said, ‘When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honour them.’ (Psalm 91:15 NLT)
(2) Show them what God is like. We influence others’ concepts of God, and they understand Him through the interactions they have with us. So our behaviour should always reflect God, such as never being too busy to listen, giving encouragement, never belittling or being harsh, and showing love in everything we do.
(3) Help them to see God at work. When people are encouraged to see God at work in the lives of others, they’ll begin to discern Him at work in their own lives too. They’ll begin to realise that He cares about them, and they can always turn to Him for support and guidance.
(4) Don’t just tell them to go to church—take them. Church can be daunting for someone who’s never been before, or who might have had a bad experience of church in the past. Having a friend with them to act as guide, helper, and explainer can make all the difference in giving them a positive experience and seeing that church should be a warm and welcoming place of fellowship and connection.
SoulFood: Habakkuk 1–3 John 6:35–51 Ps 49 Pro 24:19–22
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2023
