On New Years Day my team and I had a free day in Bangkok before taking a night train to Nong Khai where our ministry would be for the month. As we were feeling tired from our journey from
Cambodia to Thailand the previous day, we decided to go to Starbucks to relax and have a coffee.
While we were in there I sat and chatted with my team mate Shayla. During that time an older man came and asked if he could sit on the sofa with us. As he sat down he made a remark about how it was a rather uncomfortable sofa. We laughed and then returned to our conversation. However as we continued talking, I noticed that he kept looking over at us, and God said to me that he wanted to talk to us. The Lord has given me a nudge to be bold and speak to this man about Him.
I told Shayla and so we struck up a conversation with the gentleman. He told us he was from Scotland and had grown up in a Presbyterian church. He didn’t follow God anymore. He could scarcely believe we actually believed in Him and the Bible. During our conversation God spoke to me that this man had issues with condemnation, judgement and unanswered prayers. He was using religion as a means of defence and distraction from God. Instead of seeing God for who He is, this man was caught up in his issues with religion and the church, and was using that as a reason to run away from Him.
By the end of our conversation it seemed like he could not get away quickly enough! He confessed, what we were talking about had made him feel uncomfortable. I said that of course it had, God was knocking at the door of his heart. It can be uncomfortable to be reminded of Gods presence and desire for relationship with us. We ended the conversation politely and although he did not accept Christ, it was evident that God is pursuing this man.
Whilst he didn’t accept Christ that day, the interaction taught me a few things about evangelism. It’s not something I feel at all comfortable or confident with, as it’s not really something I’ve done before. But God taught me that it’s not all about whether or not the person we speak to accepts Him. We may just be someone who starts off or is a part of Gods pursuit of that person. Furthermore, we don’t have to have all the right answers. I certainly didn’t have all the right things to say to this man, and couldn’t answer all his questions perfectly, but God chose me in that moment to be the person who spoke to him. My job is simply to be obedient to God and His decision to use me. As I do and as I listen to His promptings, He will give me the strength and words to speak boldly.
Our God is a God who desperately wants relationship with us. As Christians we know how incredible that relationship is. Let’s be encouraged to share that with those around us even when we don’t feel equipped. God can and will speak through us.
“Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:12
