Day 3 – Know What You Believe

Can you explain why you follow Jesus in non-churchy terms? When I ask others why they follow Jesus, I often get answers like “because he loves me.” While that answer is true, it doesn’t explain things very well to people who don’t follow Jesus.

In Mark 5:1–20, Jesus has an encounter with a man filled with an army of demons. Jesus heals the man, but a herd of pigs die in the process. The people of the region don’t want Jesus to stick around, so they ask him to leave. As he is leaving, the man who was freed of the demons asks Jesus if he can go along. Jesus answers, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (v. 19)

Why didn’t Jesus let the man come with him? I think Jesus told the man to stay there because only that man could reach those people. The same applies to the people you interact with each day in your work. Most of your customers and coworkers wouldn’t be very interested in what your pastor has to say. If they did, they’d probably attend your church.

Jesus saved you and sent you right back to your workplace. He sent me back, too, even though I begged him to put me ‘in ministry.’ I later realized we are all called to full-time ministry; however, only a few of us need to leave our jobs and go work for a church. Because many of us will not go into ministry full-time, that means we will encounter many unbelievers. We need to know what we believe when we do.

Prepare to Answer

As you pray for, appreciate, and serve others, they may have questions about what you’re doing. If you work late to help someone or use your own personal time or money to make a difference for someone else, they will be curious. Maybe they will ask you why you went out of your way to help them. How will you answer?

In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter tells us to respond with gentleness and respect. To me, the best way to answer with gentleness and respect is to answer in the 1st person. Pretend that someone has asked you why you are a Christ-follower. Give your answer using “I” or “me” statements. That way, when you actually receive this question, others will know that what you believe is personal to you.

Make it Quick

Remember that most people are in a hurry. They don’t want to listen to you explain your "why" forever. And many won’t trust the Bible either. So, try to boil your answer down to one minute. Doing so will show the other person you’ve thought about it and can provide a meaningful but concise answer that doesn’t make demands on their time. Then allow the Holy Spirit to do the rest of the work.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The more you think about and rehearse your one-minute answer, the better prepared you will be when someone asks. Even consider asking a friend who is also a believer to join you in this exercise. The more versed you are, the more comfortable you will be when answering. God will use you as you practice. Wait for him to bring people who are curious.

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