Daily Devotion: The Joy of Bridge Building - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a Defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. -1 Peter 3:15
Our rabbits had recently had bunnies when a man arrived one day with our water delivery. As he walked into the garage, where we keep our rabbits, he was amazed to see all the bunnies. He expressed his astonishment again and again while he was putting the water away-and he used the name of Jesus as he was doing it.
I was getting a little irritated with this, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk to him. As he got into his truck, I walked over to him with an invitation to SoCal Harvest.
"You know, I heard you talking a lot about Jesus today," I said.
He looked shocked.
"I heard you say 'Jesus' three times," I continued. "You obviously have a great interest in Jesus, don't you?" Then I handed him the invitation. "This is an event all about Jesus. Why don't you check it out?"
You never know when opportunities to share your faith will arise. As 1 Peter 3:15 tells us, "Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (NKJV).
It's a little like giving a defense in a court of law. But let's not think of ourselves as prosecuting attorneys; rather, we're witnesses. We're not there to embarrass or humiliate people. We're there to be witnesses, with gentleness and respect. There is always a way to build a Bridge with someone.
I think when some Christians share their faith, they just want to win the argument. But the objective is not to win the argument; the objective is to win the soul. The objective is to build a bridge, not burn one. If you want to win some, then you must be winsome.
