When it comes to sharing the Gospel this time of year, how do you engage someone without enraging them? I’m going to give you one super-easy way to do just that. Simply ask this question:
“What does Christmas mean to you?”
Jesus asked more questions (around 300!) than anyone else in the Bible. He knew that asking great questions was an effective way to get people to open up and share from their hearts.
THE POWER OF QUESTIONS
Asking good questions is actually an act of love. When you ask someone a question and listen to their answer, you demonstrate that you’re interested not only in their answer but in them as a person as well. Asking questions, followed by active listening, is a much needed act of love in our super-busy, self-absorbed culture. Dr. Steven Covey once wrote:
Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival—to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.
Asking questions—followed by active listening—affirms, validates, and shows appreciation for others.
“What does Christmas mean to you?” is a great question because it allows someone to share from their heart. There’s no wrong answer, and it provides a glimpse into their perspective and life.
Once you listen to them, the most natural question for them to ask you is “What does Christmas mean to you?” and then you can share how the coming of Jesus into this world changed everything for you. You can share how the God of the universe invaded time and space by becoming one of us (the reason we celebrate Christmas globally), that He lived the perfect life we could never live and died the death that we deserve, in our place and for our sins. And, of course, that He rose from the dead three days later, proving He was God in the flesh. Finally, you can share how this risen Jesus offers all of us the ultimate Christmas gift—the gift of eternal life—if we simply put our faith in Him.
THE POWER OF A TESTIMONY
In addition to asking this great and simple question, here’s another easy way of sharing Jesus with friends and family this Christmas season: Give them a copy of my book Unlikely Fighter: The Story of How a Fatherless Street Kid Overcame Violence, Chaos, and Confusion to Become a Radical Christ Follower. In this book I share my journey from a terrified and traumatized street kid into a passionate follower of Jesus. The book is real and raw. It’s emotionally engaging and entertaining. Most of those I’ve talked to about it have shed tears as they read the stories in it. Unlikely Fighter shares the Gospel without being preachy. But it’s straightforward and clear.
Here’s what Pastor Samuel Rodriguez said about my book:
Beyond the brawls, bruises, and blood splattered across the pages of this hard-to-put-down-book is the story of a scared, scarred kid on a journey to find his identity.
I encourage you to get one book for yourself too so you can read it along with the person you share it with. Then after you both read it, get together for coffee or a meal and talk about it. This will provide an easy way to talk about the Gospel, because it’s that very message that transformed my entire bodybuilding, street-thug, rage-o-holic family members.
However you choose to share the Gospel with friends and family this Christmas season, do it prayerfully, humbly, and confidently. People need Jesus now more than ever, and they need the hope that only the Gospel can give them.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
