The economic crisis of 2008 that still continues today has affected the American culture in many ways. However one of the most overlooked impacts is also one of the most devastating.
It’s no secret that kids are born with a strong craving for love or attention. Ideally this need will be filled by parents, but economic challenges mean many families are forced to get two full-time jobs [1].
Thankfully this need for love is sometimes filled with extended family members who live nearby such as grandparents. However not every family has this luxury, and even when grandparents are present they can’t meet every need.
Over time culture uses this to teach children love is found outside of the family relationship. So the child will look for another authority figure to fill their “leaking love tank [2]”
Like many of you my heart broke while watching the aftermath of a grand juries decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson [1].
There are many things about Ferguson that saddens me, but the greatest is children have to grow up in a broken culture filled with violence and anger [2].
On Wednesday I met with a group about the possibility of volunteering with their prison based literacy program. As usual one of the first questions asked was “what do you do for a living?” and I explained my calling as a Missionary to Australia.
After discussing their goals (and how that would fit with me) one of them asked how my religious background would affect this ministry.
I am actually very glad they asked this question (and bring up the subject myself if they don’t) because it’s important they understand how the Gospel will be shared [1]
Actually explaining this to the organization is the easy part…the hard part is actually starting those gospel conversations.
For that you need to become a Gospel Ninja
A gospel ninja is someone who is constantly looking for opportunities to share a truth of Scripture [2] in a relaxed way that isn’t confrontational (the person initiates, or God just opens a door for the truth to be shared, the message of course will be confrontational)
My number one rule for being a gospel ninja is I will only answer questions that people ask me about religion
Sadly in todays culture openly sharing the gospel in places like work or school can get a person into trouble. However if we are simply answering a question then there will be little or no consequences.
“Okay” you may be thinking, “how do I get them to ask the questions?.” While nothing works all of the time, here are some lessons I’ve learned about becoming a gospel ninja.
1. Make sure they know your a Christian: This isn’t done in an arrogant way, you simply make Christianity your identity so that everyone realizes your a follower of Christ.
2. Live a Godly testimony: Unfortunately many of the unsaved have met Christians who don’t live for Christ at all so they are going to be watching you very closely [3]. Living a consistent testimony in front of them is one of the gospel ninja’s most powerful weapons
3. Get involved in Conversations: Conversations where others are sharing their views on a subject are great opportunities to be a gospel ninja. While this isn’t answering questions, since everyone is sharing their own views it’s unlikely giving a Christian perspective will create issues.
4. Offer to Explain Your Views: I like to tell individuals if they ever want to learn more about Christianity I would be happy to explain it to them. This is especially useful after you’ve gained thier trust with a Godly testimony
(“I live this way because I’m a Christian, if you ever want to understand what that means then let me know”)
5. Show Genuine Concern: We all have bad days (or crisis situations) and this is a great opportunity to show them the love of Christ. It also allows a Christian to give a personal testimony of how the Lord helped them in that kind of situation [4].
6. Be Patient: The most difficult part of being a gospel ninja is waiting for God to open a door instead of forcing it open ourselves. While waiting for that opening fill your time with prayer, relationship development, and Scripture.
It truly breaks my heart that we live in a culture where sharing the Gospel openly can lead to a reprimand. The good news is with some work and patience we can be an awesome witness for Christ.
And of course the best news is the Gospel always works.
I have learned groups are open to the Gospel being shared through ministries as long as I am honest about it, not telling them and doing so makes it look dishonest ↩
I’m not saying you can’t share the whole Gospel at once of course, but have found sharing truths a little bit at a time helps an unbeliever understand Scripture better ↩
svgmissionary.com 