As a movement, we believe that everyone is valuable to God. Consequently, engaging people is very important to us. It is the first step we take in helping people grow in their walk with God.
So, how do we do it? Well, it varies in form, timing, and venue, but the reason has to be the same. We engage people who have not heard of the Gospel yet to help establish their spiritual foundations. In this blog, we will focus on engaging someone with the gospel through our daily, normal conversations.
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 NIV
To understand this verse better, let us break it into three parts.
1. Let your conversation be always full of grace
Our speech should always express the grace of God working in us. At the same time, we are to extend the same grace by speaking with truthfulness, faithfulness, and sincerity- all done in love.
2. Seasoned with salt
As salt gives food a pleasant taste, so is our conversation gives life and hope to those who hear us. As salt preserves food, so is our conversation free from any corruption.
3. That you may know how to answer everyone
When we live in God’s grace, we speak with grace and wisdom. Our conversations become life-giving. We are then ready to answer those who ask about the hope we profess.
Having these in mind, it is time to put it in practice by being a S.A.L.T. It is a simple way of engaging an unbeliever in a conversation with the intention of sharing the gospel.
S – Seek out a person to initiate. First, identify the persons you want to reach out. These are the people who receive you gladly, serve you, and you intentionally invest in. Pray to the Holy Spirit to lead you to them.
A – Ask questions. By asking good questions, you give people room to think about and reflect on what they truly believe. The key here is to be interested and not interesting.
L – Listen. Listening to the responses is equally important. From the answers people give, you will be able to gauge their level of faith and understand their belief system. It will give you an idea how to serve and minister to them in a personal level.
T – Tell the story. Tell the greatest love story of all. Present the gospel and your own testimony of how it affected you. Relate their own story or circumstance to show them how the good news could change their life forever. Always seal it with a prayer.
The goal is to share the gospel so do not be pressured about the outcome. Salvation belongs to the Lord; conversion is in His hands. Bear in mind that we have no control over their response but we do have control in bringing the good news to them. So, keep on sharing and remember S.A.L.T.!
