- Go. For the most part, people are not going to come to us. We can have the most effective seeker-sensitive, gospel-enriched, inoffensive Christian activities, yet apart from deep relationships in which we go across boundaries, most people will not go to God. The gospel message has an inherent call: go.
- Stay. Going is hard. Staying is harder. We have a few friendships with nonbelievers and go to some of the places they go, but as soon as things get a little uncomfortable, we leave. The type of love Jesus calls us to necessitates that we stay in relationship even when discomfort sets in. Once we get over the need to be comfortable, we can start being people who stay. We see people through the good and the bad. We learn to enjoy them and care for them. It is these long-haul relationships that afford the most room for the gospel to articulate all of its grace and truth.
- Bless. We can’t bless people in mysterious, weird, religious ways that we alone understand. People need and want to see tangible things. Like the Good Samaritan, we have the means to bless people in practical, obvious ways. As people hear the good news from our lips, they should see the good news in our lives.
- Tell. If you have lived faithfully with your friends, there will be room to tell your stories. They know by how you live that you are a Christian. Once you have these types of relationships, you can speak about Jesus to non-Christians in the same way that you speak to Christians. You don’t have to look for opportunities or manipulate conversations; simply let people know what God has done and is doing in your life. Use language that they can understand. If you are concerned that people might feel uncomfortable, most likely they won’t be; it is those who are not concerned about people’s comfort who make them uncomfortable.
- What non-Christian is God calling you to spend more time with? What prevents you from doing that?
- Is a relationship with a non-Christian difficult for you to maintain right now? What do you need from God to continue that relationship?
- List some ways you can bless a non-Christian in your life. What resources do you have that can be used to serve him or her?