{image via}
I find that sometimes the hardest part about walking the Christian faith is talking the talk of faith. Now, I don’t mean catching on to the Christian jargon that crops up in small groups and church committee meetings {that’s a post for another day.} I mean actually talking about my faith on an average day, in my every day interactions.
Lately I’ve made a concentrated effort to try to bring up Christ, God, the Spirit, and faith in every day life…in a way that is totally normal {for me that means not too awkward}, that doesn’t read as preachy or snobby. I want my faith to be such a key part of me that it spills out naturally onto every part of my life and every interaction in my day.
I’m in no way perfect {#obvious} but I have improved. Here are seven things that have helped me talk a better, less weird talk. I hope they help you too.
1. Get comfortable by chatting with like-minded friends. My comfort level in the faith department grew by leaps and bounds when I found a solid group of friends who had Christ on the mind. We are all striving to set our eyes on Him, so whether we are having a low-key Yahtzee night or dinner out, spiritual topics usually come onto the table. How are we growing, what are we struggling with, what are we learning from our Bible study? When we vent about our problems, someone is quick to give solid, Scriptural-based advice. This atmosphere is a perfect place to get comfortable talking the talk.
2. Get involved with your faith. If you start serving in church {with the nursery, youth group, a committee, pot lucks, greeters…} you’ll be contributing to the body of Christ, while giving yourself some totally normal talking points. It’s inevitable that someone will ask you what you’ve been up to lately. When that question arises, you can tell them about the crazy kid in the nursery, or how you were helping with a funeral that served the weirdest food, or how you are just blown away by the wisdom exhibited by teens in the youth group. That opens up a whole conversation and an easy avenue for sharing your heart for your ministries and passion for being involved in the body.
3. Read something. People love chatting about what they’ve read lately. Pick up some faith-based fiction, or a non-fiction read that will stretch your faith. Find a small group through your church that is reading a book together and join in. You’ll learn something, probably gain new perspective on a subject, and have a talkable topic on hand. Bonus points if you do decide to meet with a group…then you’ll be able to tell others about your book club, the book you’re reading, and what you’ve learned.
4. Go somewhere. Attend a faith-based event. A music festival {like this one}, theater production {my all time favorite}, Cantata, or concert is a good place to start. These kinds of events will inspire you and they are great opportunities to bring a friend along to a Christian event that isn’t your typical Sunday morning experience. Going somewhere gives you all kinds of ways to bring your faith into the conversation…it’s your Saturday night plan, invite others along, and you can talk about how awesome it was after it’s over.
5. Know who you’re talking about. It’s easier to talk about someone you know than a stranger. Spend time in the Word and in prayer. Let your faith grow, learn something new. The Bible is full of exciting history and wisdom. Spend time reading, maybe even read the same passage or chapter for several days in a row. You’ll gain insight and probably become pretty jazzed about what you’ve picked up. When you get to know someone super cool, amazing and interesting–you just can’t help but bring them up. When you get to know God, truly know Him, I’m confident that you’ll become excited about Him {and all His perfectly glorious characteristics, amazing plan of Salvation and grace, and awesomely righteous nature}…in turn, you’ll be ready to share.
6. Become a sponsor. I’ve heard lots of genuine, unawkward conversations start when someone lays eyes on a Compassion child’s photo tacked up on the fridge. If you aren’t familiar with the program, go here. Becoming a sponsor does something wonderful for a child overseas. Not only do they receive medical care, clothing and education…they get a relationship with an adult mentor who cares for them, and Bible classes that feed them spiritually. It’s affordable and such a worthwhile organization. Once you start forming a relationship with your child it’s hard not to talk about them. You’ll want to share what you learn about them through letters. And, if friends do ask about the photo of a child on the fridge that looks nothing like you…you’ll be able to tell them about the program and why you choose to be a part of it.
7. Memorize something. Ever since I started memorizing Colossians, I cannot shut up about Colossians. I’m learning so much, I have Scripture in my mind that I can reference and insert into conversation, and it’s pretty interesting that I’m attempting to memorize such a big piece chunk of text. This has been a fantastic tool for me when it comes to talking the talk. Having Scripture fresh in my mind each day allows me to bring it up in conversation, use it to encourage, and even quote it when I pray aloud {another sometimes scary thing.} It’s easier to sound natural when interjecting Scripture into conversation when you are confident you’re saying it right, you fully understand the context, and you’ve been saying it aloud to yourself for days and days. More on the technique I’m using here. More on what I’m learning and why I love it here.
There’s a common thread through all of these things that will help you grow more comfortable with talking about your faith: Action. Our faith will remain an awkward and weird topic if we force it to remain confined to Sunday mornings and certain holidays. When our faith in Christ becomes deeply attached to our day-to-day life, conversations about it stop feeling forced and start to seem totally normal. When we allow our faith to become part of who we are, what we do, and how we think it becomes something we naturally want to talk about and are comfortable doing so.
I hope these things have helped you. Or at least given you a couple ideas, if you are having a hard time integrating your faith into your life. Give it a whirl…it’s fun when you do!
XO
Amy
