God Chatter

I had a long drive to make earlier this week so I spent several hours listening to the various offerings on the radio, switching between channels to find something of interest.  As I neared the big city there were significantly more choices, not necessarily better choices if you know what I mean.  I zeroed in on a Christian Talk Radio Station and the woman being interviewed was saying how so many of us as Christians in the world go about our daily lives and never mention Jesus.  We have so much other stuff to talk about like the weather, the news, the latest crisis in our lives . . . but rarely do we get around to talking about what God is doing.

One of my pastoral mentors, Dr. Dave Daubert, has said to our leadership group on many occasions, "Christians live most of their lives in the world and yet when they enter the church suddenly they have lost the ability to think or talk about the world."  (My paraphrase of his words- hopefully I did them justice.)  His point is that as disciples of Christ we have to learn how to talk about God in our day to day activities.  God is active and loose in the world and who better to see it and point out God's activity than Christians?  Perhaps we don't talk about God because we aren't paying attention to the kingdom of God that is constantly breaking in all around us! (Even in our own lives.)

How can we get better at this?
We spend only a few hours inside the church where we might be more comfortable talking about God and don't, so then what will we do when we leave the church building and go out into the mission field?  Inside church, amongst fellow believers is where we need to practice our God Chatter!  If we can't do it there, how will we ever be able to do it at work, at school, at a play date with our children's friends and parents?  We can practice with each other so that we will be ready when an opportunity presents itself in our daily life.  Talk to the person who sits next to you in the pew.  Ask them, "What is God up to in your life?"  "Where have you seen Jesus this past week?"

Practice makes perfect, or almost perfect which is good enough!  So what's holding us back?  Perhaps it is a matter of fear:  fear of rejection, fear that people will think we are weird, fear that they will argue with us or simply walk away.  Ask yourself, "What keeps me from talking about God? "

God talk is not idle chatter or foolish prattle!  It is blessing another with your words, pointing them to the life giving love of Jesus.  Don't be afraid!  Don't worry about what others will think of you.  They will probably be impressed with your conviction and boldness!  Start simply. . . say "Have a blessed day" as you leave the checkout counter at the store.  Mention giving thanks to God for such a beautiful day.  Say things like, "I will pray for you" when a person shares their struggles with you.  Listen intently for their story and respond with a loving attitude- that shows Christ in a wonderful way.  Develop a relationship first and then slowly share your faith so you don't overwhelm the person.  Say to someone, "God loves you and so do I!"

The more you talk about God and what he is doing in your life and in the world, the more comfortable you will become.  You will see people come toward you for a word of hope and encouragement.  They will see Christ in you and be drawn to you knowing that you will pray for them, that you are concerned about their well being.  AND, God will become nearer and dearer to you in the process as you become more committed to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

Be blessed!  Share your love of Christ with your friends, neighbors, coworkers etc.  Notice what God is up to all around you and don't be afraid to chat about God!

Photo taken from:  americancorner.hu