Spiritual Hooks
How easy is it for you to share your faith with your friends and neighbors? Are you on fire and share with ease or perhaps you don’t even know where to start? For many of us, the struggle is to start a conversation that doesn’t offend. This is especially true if you are in our situation, having friends from a different culture, and you don’t want to be misunderstood. Have you considered using ‘spiritual hooks’?
Spiritual hooks are a great way to circumnavigate this challenge. It is NEVER too early to plant them into conversations. What are they you ask? They are simple statements that point to your relationship with Jesus or spiritual realities. They ask nothing of the listener, but they create an opportunity for a response if they are interested. They give you an opportunity to see where God is working naturally.
For us in SEND North, this way of sharing our faith is especially helpful for those who are new to the North and don’t know the culture. We know that over time, with an increased understanding of the culture and people, God will guide us to be more overt in what we share. For you, being more overt may come as you build deeper relationships with your friends and neighbors. The truth is, from day one, we all can overcome any fear of evangelism by weaving “spiritual hooks” into our conversations. Here are a few examples that we might use in our remote communities:
- I love the beauty of the land here. God is a magnificent creator.
- I am so sorry to hear about the way your mother treats you, you are God’s precious creation, and it is not right that you were treated that way.
- I understand you are angry with your neighbor for taking something from you. I have found the only way I have overcome my anger and bitterness is through God’s help. (Tell a story of how you were angry, and God helped you through it.)
These are just a few simple examples, but I am sure you have many more that you can come up with for your situation. If you find this helpful, take a moment this week and write out a few that you can share in your everyday conversations. Watch what God does as you faithfully go out as a "fisher of men".
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