'What do you mean?': The most important question in mission

When sharing the gospel, we seek to contextualise without compromising, so that people can better understand concepts of sin, salvation and Messiah without being waylaid in unfamiliar ‘Christianese’. But we also remember that it is God who works through these interactions, and only He can save.

People bring their own attitudes into gospel interactions, ranging from hostile to friendly, and while their response is beyond our control, our commitment to godliness remains unwavering as we strive to make Jesus known. In fact, when people get mad with us it means something in their heart is moving.

Our godly witness may well be a good testimony and stir people during our conversations, but God alone is at work in the hearts of people. While our attitude is to be grounded in the fruit of the Spirit — love, kindness, patience, and self-control; we cannot move people’s heart toward God. We want to pray before interactions and invite God to be present. We depend on Him alone.