Staying alert to an opportunity to talk about your faith
Someone mentions their weariness, a bereavement, a big decision, a question about the meaning of life. In the moment, you say nothing; later, you tell yourself: “I could have talked to them about my faith.” This quest invites you to develop a discreet quality: attention to opportunities, with no pressure or obligation to seize every one.
What it looks like in your day
An opportunity is a moment when the conversation opens naturally to faith. It can take several forms:
- A trial: someone talks about an illness, a bereavement, a sorrow.
- A question: “What do you believe in?” “Do you go to church?”
- A significant moment: a birth, a wedding, a birthday, a world event.
- A hint: the person lets slip a sentence that touches on God: “I guess it was meant to be,” “I don't know if praying does any good.”
- A request for advice: about a moral dilemma, a difficult decision.
Your mission for the day is simple: observe. You don't have to force the conversation. You spot, you listen, and you ask yourself: “Is this the moment?” If so, you can answer briefly: “For me, my faith helps a lot in moments like these.” If not, you can simply pray for the person.
In the evening, go back over your day: did you see opportunities go by? How did you react? Without judging yourself, note what you retain.
If you are short on time, retain only one thing: listening more attentively. If you are shy, this first step is perfect: you practice seeing before daring to speak.
What the Bible says
Paul asks the Colossians for wise and delicate attention:
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
“Redeeming the time”: seizing the opportunities that go by. “Seasoned with salt”: speech that has flavor, but not too much. And the end of the verse shows that the key is to discern how to answer each person, not to recite an identical speech to everyone.
In the book of Acts, Philip is attentive to the voice of the Spirit and to the situation of the man on the road:
“And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”
He runs to the chariot, hears the Ethiopian reading Isaiah, and seizes the opportunity to ask whether he understands what he is reading. No grand prepared speech: attention to what is happening. Jesus himself, at the well, simply says to a woman: “Give me to drink” (John 4:7), and the conversation opens.
Pitfalls to avoid
Forcing the door. If the person is not open, don't push. Opportunities that are forced close hearts. Stay available and warm.
The guilt of missed opportunities. You will always have some. Don't beat yourself up: God doesn't count your silences. Instead, ask him to make you more attentive tomorrow.
Speaking at all costs. An opportunity is not an obligation. Sometimes the most loving thing is to be quiet and listen.
Misinterpreting. An innocuous sentence doesn't always hide a spiritual thirst. First seek to understand what the person is going through.
Neglecting prayer. It is what makes you attentive. Ask God to open your eyes to the people around you.
Today, spot an opportunity. Note it in the evening, and ask God how to make the most of it next time.