Meaningful dialogue begins with establishing relationships with others in the marketplace. When you establish relationships, this gives you the “right”, so to speak, to ask the important questions. After all, as the old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” If someone knows that you care, they will be more open to dialogue, and reason with you concerning the important questions, on things that matter.
By way of approach, we ask many questions, intently listening to others. We talk less and listen more. We have a genuine, sincere interest in all of God’s children, including those we encounter in the workplace.
Asking Good Questions
Chuck Colson said, “One of the greatest services Christians can render to their unbelieving friends is to start asking good questions about the really big issues of life. Jesus was a great question-asker, as we know, and we can be effective in helping those around us think more seriously about their lives – and about the Gospel – if we will learn to use good questions in our conversations with them.”
We’ve been discussing four questions that involve one’s worldview. They are: Where did we come from? Why is the world such a mess? Is there a solution? What do we do about it? Today, we explore the answer to the fourth question. After discussing the problem of sin and the solution found in Jesus Christ, answering questions 2 and 3, we need to ask the important question, “What do we do about it?” We can also phrase it as, “Where do we go from here?”
If Jesus Christ is the solution — and He is, — then we need to respond to Him. A relationship with Him must be established. God’s Word teaches us that in order to come into a relationship with him, we must believe in Him, repent of our sins, confess Him as our Lord and Savior, and be baptized in Him.
Acceptance and Lordship
Not only do we need to accept Christ, but we must make Him Lord of our lives. When we make Him Lord, we are putting him above all others, above all things. Lordship involves not just initially “making” Him Lord by accepting Him, but it also involves having a personal relationship with Him.
Notice that I said nothing about religion. When we answer the question, “Where do we go from here?” the emphasis is not on rituals or just “going to church.” The emphasis is on relationship. Therefore, this would be a great time to share your testimony in light of the relationship you have with God because you have accepted Christ.
The answer, then, to the question “Where do we go from here?” involves beginning and growing in a relationship with God.
To review what we have been discussing in this podcast series, we asked four questions: They are: Where did we come from? Why is the world such a mess? Is there a solution? What do we do about it? Before you can “earn the right” to ask those questions, you establish a relationship with the person to whom you are witnessing.
Today’s Takeaway: When engaging in meaningful dialogue with others, it is important to stress the need for a relationship with Jesus, not religion. Most people are not interested in religion. It’s not about being religious; it’s about having a relationship with our Creator, Redeemer, and Friend.
Click here to download a a publication by Chuck Colson, which contains the Worldview Four-Part Grid. I think it will be a helpful tool for marketplace missionaries to use in order to think through and discuss the important questions we should be asking.