Preparing a Ready Answer

 

          I love talking about Jesus and will do so at the drop of a hat, but it has not always been easy for me. The most difficult time I ever had in sharing the Gospel was during an evangelism training commitment back in my mid-twenties. I was a new Believer at the time and eager to make a difference. Looking back, I must say that while I appreciated the concept, the execution of the program left a great deal to be desired. Names were gathered from visitation logs and the teams would arrange for a visit. Unfortunately, during many of those visits, our preceptor failed to carefully listen and take the spiritual temperature of our audience.  He usually mowed down our hosts, forced his testimony upon them, asked “the question,” and then demanded a decision for Christ if they did not give the appropriate response. This absolutely horrified me! We did more harm than good during such visits, and I was hesitant to share the Gospel afterwards for a long time.

Still, I could not be silent about the LORD. His name just naturally came up in any conversation that went beyond a few minutes. Over time, with spiritual maturity and careful observation of what did and didn’t work, my personal evangelism style gradually developed. God took the gift that is within me—my penchant for encouragement, my childlike faith, my love for writing and public speaking—and began teaching me more effective ways for sharing the hope that is within me.  He gave me a template for personal evangelism in 1 Peter 3: 15-16: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

From that verse, I understood why my witness would be crippled and my mouth silenced when I engaged in willful disobedience. I would say nothing while opportunities to share the Gospel just passed me by, and that was not like me, but I could not bear the rants of the enemy as he rightly accused me. Only when my sin closet was swept out would I finally feel confident enough to share my faith again.

Another precept I embraced is the importance of being prepared. I realized I needed to memorize more Scripture. Sometimes it is neither possible nor appropriate to carry a Bible into a conversation, although I did buy a discreet travel Bible for those moments when more depth was needed. (Smart phones now make it possible to carry the entire Bible wherever there is a signal, but desperately surfing through one can really put a damper on spontaneity!) Most of the time, however, God drops me in the middle of situations where there is no time to prepare. A portable “memory” Bible sure does come in handy.

From my experience with the formal evangelism program I mentioned earlier, I learned how important it is to NOT force a conversation about faith. It is vital to wait for the LORD to prepare the soil first.  When I meet a patient who seems to have an evident need, I will often gently and respectfully ask, “Are you a wo/man of faith?” Many times, I will know how to proceed in conversation following their reply. Body language can also play an important role in determining receptiveness. Under no circumstances will I debate my faith with a non-Believer, however. That is no longer my style or my calling. I trust the Holy Spirit to draw people to salvation. My job is to confirm, encourage, and disciple.

And lastly, I learned the value of writing out my testimony. It’s been thirty years since I received Christ as my LORD and Savior. I’m so thankful I wrote the story down years ago while I still vividly remembered it. I have given away hundreds of copies of my testimony in my travels all over the United States and now keep one on my Sky Drive so I can share it anywhere I go. My next step, after I update my public speaking skills, is to record my testimony through a venue such as 315 Project or I Am Second. I want to make it possible for others to hear “the rest of the story” about God’s faithfulness in my life when time does not allow or I cannot be present. One day, I hope I will be able to hand out a calling card that will direct folks to my testimony video or blog site. This beggar is eager to show other hungry people where she found the Bread of Life!  

Kay O'Hara

January 19, 2014

 

Reference:

Zondervan NIV Study Bible.  Fully rev. ed.  Kenneth L. Barker, gen. ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002. Print.