I received the following question a while back related to the idea of us “changing our conversations”:
I find the challenge of “changing the topic” very interesting. I would like to know what you would consider the “changed topic.” From the casual Wal-Mart conversation to the person you car-pool with to a fellow passenger on a plane, what do you see as ultimate destination of our conversations? I have ideas of the progression from “God is good,” to “God is in control,” to “Jesus is my savior,” to “Jesus is the only way.” If you have some time, how about making a list of the things you wish all of us would spend our day talking to others about.
What a great question! How would you answer it?
My response was:
Hmmmm, I’ve been thinking about a list of things I wish people would talk to others about. I’m still not sure about the list, but here are some things that I would encourage people to do:
1. Each Sunday think about the thing that impacted you the most during Bible Study and Worship, and then try to bring that up in conversation with someone during the week. (This could also be done with your daily devotional time, too. What was most impactful? How can I share this with someone today?) For example, maybe the message is on an attitude of joy vs. an attitude of complaint. Then think about what people complain to you about and be prepared on how you will respond to turn the conversation. We know that we all constantly complain about the weather – “it is too hot, too cold, too dry, or too wet.” So we know this will come up. So the next time when someone is complaining to you about the weather being too hot – you might say: “I know! I am the world’s worst about complaining about the weather – about it being too rainy or to dry or too cold. But I heard something this weekend at church that made me think about that: It was the statement that ‘Rain can ruin your weekend or rain can save your life, depending on who you are and what your thirst is like.’ And it got me to thinking about how the weather might be something for me to complain about, but someone else is probably praising God for the same weather. So I’m trying to make a commitment to focus more on the positive. How hard do you think that will be for me?” That gives information on your beliefs, and invites them further into the conversation.
2. Look for opportunities to discuss the relationships you have at church, and to invite people into a relationship with you. For example, at work when someone says, “This weekend was great! I was able to sleep in on Saturday, and on Sunday I went fishing bright and early. We caught a mess of fish.” You could then say something along the lines of: “That sounds great, I love fishing. In fact, one of the guys in my Bible study group was talking to me about us getting together to go to the lake one of these upcoming Saturdays. Would you be interested in going with us?” This points out that you are in a Bible study group, and that you are open to new relationships.
3. Be strategic about talking to other Christians about godly things in the presence of non-Christians. Again, not in weird stuff like a discussion about the “soteriology themes in Revelation as they connect to Ezekiel and the 70 Weeks in Daniel” (what?!), but just about how your relationship with your wife has improved as you have grown in your relationship with God. Doing so allows a non-Christian to hear your conversation and allows a small seed to be planted about how something like that could help out his relationship with his wife.
What else should be included in my answer as to how to practically change our conversations toward God?
.
