1 Corinthians 13:1, 13 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."
My name is Ruth Strait, and I am a faithful servant to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my goal that when I go out, it’s to speak the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who listen, to pause, converse and pray with and for people, no matter where I am. The mission of showing the love of Christ is one the most utmost important things I do no matter where I am, who I talk with, Believer or not.
Daily, when I go out and about doing my regular routines, no matter where the town, I look for common ground when I speak with people. “What are their interests? Where are they from? What’s there to do that they like in the city or around town? Who’s your favorite team?” These are just some of the questions I ask. It helps break the ice of having small talk. Once I find the common ground, I run with it and so the conversation begins, bringing Our Awesome God into in any way possible.
One example is when I had to take an Uber home from a business meeting. The driver, George, didn’t want to hear about Jesus, but he sure did want someone to listen to him. He told me what his dreams were. We talked about his travels abroad and he enjoyed sharing with me his life in general. He talked. I listened, and I answered any question which he had that I could about the various topics brought up for discussion. I could have easily sat back and ignored George’s questions, dreams and desires. Yet, how would that be showing the love of Christ? Would I have been able to plant a God seed in our conversation, even if it was in the subtlest of ways? There are ways one can bring God into the conversation without being overly smothering about it, and I believe this is done through showing one the love of Christ in any given situation.
Other times when I’m talking with someone, the conversation turns favorably about God. During discussions, that person, more often than not, will tell me about their background, their religious upbringing and beliefs. That opens the door for great discussion of what God has done in their life and for me to give my testimony sharing on how good God has been to me.
When God is brought into conversation and there are differing opinions, using Godly discretion on how to proceed comes by pausing, praying and seeking the Holy Spirit for direction, wisdom, and guidance on what to say/do or not to say/do. There have been many times that I have redirected the conversation because things were going nowhere fast, and even in those times, I believe that it is important to practice respect for others, even though our thoughts differ. I may not believe, aspire or like what one says or believes, but as an act of the love of Jesus, I can respect humanity amidst the difference. This is an avenue to unity, common ground and the opportunity to seek a common place to share. How does that get done in those times? The Bible speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 13:13, and instructs one to “speak with love.” This means we can attempt to not converse in anger or in hot headiness, nor do we have to beat the Bible over their head by arguing back. It is perhaps agreeing to disagree and when needed, ending the conversation on a friendly note with silent prayers hoping that a God seed was planted. Maybe, just maybe, that person will reflect on what was said and pick up the Bible for themselves and discover God’s Truth one day, remembering the very words in love which were spoken.
Love is the greatest of all things we possess, and I believe that the love of Christ is to be shown as best as it can be in every circumstance and in every situation. For me as I believer, I recognize that I do not have to be hasty in what I say or do. In such, I can attempt to fulfill the law (Romans 13:8) when we have the love of Christ and intentionally show the fruit of the Spirit as love among others (Galatians 5:22-23). Together, we can strive to love our neighbors no matter who they are, what they say, or how they act (and yes, quite hard to do sometimes, I know) yet, may we show them the love of Christ as we speak in God’s love!
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