Workplace WitnessSample

Know How to Answer Everyone

My friend, Sarah, is a teacher. Her conversations with her colleagues had been so full of grace and seasoned with salt that when one of them felt as if she was missing the meaning of life, Sarah was the one she wanted to talk to. I want to be that person for those I work with, knowing how to answer someone who asks me about my faith.

When Jesus was asked questions, He often responded with more questions. Questions help us understand where people are coming from so we can answer the question that’s really being asked. I recommend countering a question with something like, ‘Why do you ask?’, followed by ‘How far have you got in your own thinking?’ Often, difficult questions – about suffering or sexuality or science, for example – are variations of just one question: Is God good? So, sharing your experience of God’s goodness is a powerful way of answering someone’s faith-related questions. It’s not about giving a PowerPoint gospel presentation in the breakroom. Rather, it’s about simply, authentically sharing what Jesus means to you, or how He’s inspired and changed you.

David writes, ‘Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits.’ Take time to think about the benefits of knowing Jesus, and what you’d say to a coworker who asked you, ‘Why are you a Christian?’ And when it comes to sharing your testimony of God’s goodness, practise on other Christians whenever you get the chance. It’ll put faith in the hearts of fellow believers to hear what God’s doing in your life.

Back to Sarah, whose colleague asked her about her faith: Sarah stayed calm, clear, and kind, mentioning scriptures she’d read that same day. She left her colleague wanting to know more about Jesus, which made it easy to follow up with her over the coming weeks. Keep on patiently praying for your coworkers while making the most of the conversational opportunities you have with them. It’s not all up to you.

God will often put other Christians in the lives of people He’s drawing to Himself. If you find yourself wishing God would work a bit quicker in the life of someone you’re praying for, know that if that person is contemplating Christ, they’ll respond to someone patient, not pushy. After all, patience is God’s way of operating with us! (2 Peter 3:9).

If you’ve chatted to a coworker about your faith, check back in the days or weeks that follow, saying something like, ‘I’ve been thinking about our last conversation. How have you been feeling about it?’ You might consider recommending a book or podcast that speaks to your coworker’s questions.

May you be inspired and equipped to make the most of your everyday workplace conversations – filling them with grace, seasoning them with salt, and knowing how to respond to whatever questions or comments come your way. Workplace conversations are just one element of a bigger vision to bear witness to Jesus and create Kingdom culture in your career space. Be encouraged by the truth that God is the true evangelist. We just get to join in with what He’s doing in the lives of the people we work with, one conversation at a time.