People I meet on the road send me a variety of emails. I try my best to get to them. Below is one containing a question I received from a teenager along with my reply.
The question: “Celia . . . I am writing to you because I have a problem. One of my very best friends does not believe in God. I want to reach out and tell her that He will guide her and make her life better, but she is too stubborn to learn. I am confused because she is such a great person and she deserves better than what she is getting, but I don’t know how to make her trust that the Lord will help her. Can you help me by telling me ways to reach out to her and let her know how great the Lord our God is? I would truly appriciate it . . . Your friend in Christ, name with-held”
My response: “great to hear from you..thanks for your note… this is a tough one… first I would pray for this person and pray that I would have the right words to say… and pray that I would be a good listener when they needed me… second I would be sure my lifestyle… my behavior is one that she respects… and is a Christian witness.. hard to talk about something we are not doing… next I would invite her to places where she might hear about God, like church.. my youth group.. special retreats… rallies.. we have a Sat. pm contemporary service that the youth help out with …something like that would be great…share books or music that reflect your faith…… and last I would look for teachable moments… opportunities to share your faith with her… intertwined with your daily living… and if that doesn’t work… just come out and say it… ‘I love you … you are one of my best friends.. I have found something that is so wonderful and gives me joy and comfort during the hard times and I’d like to tell you about it…. my faith is my foundation.. Jesus Christ is like a friend to me and could be that for you’… let me know… and oh… be yourself… don’t worry if you don’t feel like you have the right words… God will help you… love Celia”
How are you doing sharing your faith with others?