When you believe that Jesus Christ is in you, around you, and through you, you can speak about your experiences with Him to others and know that your encouragement may make the difference between life-affirming or death sentences for them. Positive words, words of caring, love, and kindness, will help others through their troubles; negative words, words of judgement, anger, and hatred, will hurt those who really need you to love them. Many people think to listen to others gets their real-life questions answered; it doesn’t. What helps others the most is that you really hear what someone is saying and understand what they are going through. To merely listen means your ears are working; to really hear means you must act to help someone.
The best way to be a friend to someone who really needs you is to try to do what Jesus Christ would do. You say, “I’m not Jesus Christ. I can’t do what He did.” I believe that you can have spiritual conversations like Christ’s if you put your lack of confidence aside and stand on your Christian beliefs, knowing that He will walk beside you and help you form the life-affirming words that others need to hear. God is everywhere; be aware of where God is working in your family, in your neighborhood, and in your community. Use the power of prayer to find those who need to hear a kind word and share God’s Word with them. Discover what you have in common with others, not what is different. Use those commonalities to start conversations and really hear the responses given. Look at how you can meet a real need for others and offer to help them find solutions to their difficulties. If they need food, feed them. If they need housing, shelter them. If they need clothing, clothe them. If they need a kind word, give it with love. Ask questions to get at the why behind others’ stories. Have courage to speak the truth about Jesus Christ, knowing that if you stumble, He will pick you up and show you the way to be the Christian He wants you to be.
Christ said, “Do not be afraid for I am with you.” God has made plans for each of us to have an abundant life. He also wants us to be role models for those who do not know Him and to bring the Good News of His Son here on earth to everyone. The world would be a better place if we made baby steps for Christian conversation with others. Little by little, the grace of Jesus Christ would become huge footprints in the sands of our lives. Be the light that someone else needs, not the darkness. Be “Christ with flesh on.”
Anna Hartt
