I just have to share a story from a good friend of mine—we’ll call him Paul—who recently spent some time with some long-time friends of his and shared the Gospel. In his friends’ living room, Paul kicked back and talked about the love of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ. This couple hung on every word, captivated with the message he shared.
The next day Paul received a phone call from his friend who said, “I’ve been thinking a lot about all the things you said yesterday and all the wisdom I heard in what you said. Was there some person whose beliefs have really influenced you and made an impact on the way you believe?”
“Absolutely,” replied Paul, “There was actually one guy in particular that has had a profound influence on my beliefs.”
“Well, who is it?” pressed the friend.
“Jesus.”
I thought this was an awesome example of relational evangelism. I’ve never really been a fan of preaching in the streets, going door-to-door, or handing out literature (even though God does sometimes use these methods). Rather, my preferred method of evangelism is through personal relationship. Try asking around—see how many Christians you know who received Christ because of a street preacher or a pamphlet and then see how many came to Christ through a personal relationship with another believer. The latter are far more common!
Start with the people you know—your friends, family, co-workers, or classmates. Pray for the Holy Spirit to begin softening their hearts and then act on any opportunity you can find to share the love of Christ! Speak the Truth, seasoned with love. You might be surprised at how effective you become at planting spiritual seeds for God’s Kingdom.
