Pray for an opening to tell them about Jesus and then tell them.

Here’s the rest of our listener’s question.  “I just started a new job.  I’ve heard some say to ‘just live it’ before them, and some say you need to open your mouth and say something. Sometimes in the past I would say something but it seems like it wasn’t the right time, then all of my imperfections would seem to be magnified.  Is a bumper sticker or a tract left somewhere good enough? I hate to admit it, but I’m a little gun shy about saying something at work.  I want to and I know I should, but I just don’t know how to quite go about it.”

Here’s our reply:

When the Holy Spirit is dealing with you about “imperfections” [or better yet “sins”] in your life that he wants you to get out of your life, don’t delay.  They only get worse with time and they grieve him in the meantime.  Those things will definitely limit your spiritual power because the grace of God will not be as evident in your life.  They will also cause you to hold back when you have an opportunity to witness because you’ll be ashamed to tell someone else how to be saved.

Don’t rely on lifestyle evangelism.  Lifestyle evangelism doesn’t really work.  Certainly your walk should match your talk, but I haven’t had people knocking my door down to get saved just because I am living as a Christian.

The thing to do is pray for the Lord to give you natural openings and be ready when he does.  Don’t chicken out.  A natural opening is one that presents itself in the ordinary course of the day.  It is not forced.  Though you will have to take the lead to begin a discussion about the Lord, a natural opening gives you a statement or conversation which leads naturally into a discussion about the Lord.

For example, we know a lady that’s working for a contractor.  She outworks some of the men out there.  Her boss came by and said, “You’re working too hard and making the rest of these folks look bad.  Don’t think you are going to get ahead like that.  We don’t do things that way out here.”  She said, “No problem.  I don’t work like this to impress anybody, to make anybody look bad, or to get ahead.  I work like this because I am working for Jesus and he’s the one I have to please.  I cannot do less than my best after all that he has done for me.”  He said, “Well, okay then.”  Afterwards he passed the word around that she is a God lady.  Pretty good opening and pretty well handled if you ask me.

Go out to eat with some of your co-workers, or take lunch breaks with them and then tell them a little about Jesus.  Be a friend; take an interest in the things that interest them [except for their sin].  You don’t have to be aggressive, just get them thinking and talking about spiritual matters.  Remember not to use your employer’s time unwisely.  Some guys feel so compelled to witness that they don’t put in a full day’s work for full day’s pay.  That’s a bad move.

If you are willing to witness and you are praying for your co-workers, God will help you witness to them, particularly if they know you care about them and their souls.

Hope this helps,

Pastor Bevans Welder