A burst of laughter rang out. I spun to witness a crepe in mid-air landing perfectly on Meredith’s crepe pan. Meredith and Steve broke out in a touchdown-like celebration filled with high fives and fist pumps. They laughed uncontrollably and cheered. I chuckled to myself and thought, “even in learning to make crepes, there’s competition!” I returned to my task…sautéing mushrooms, onions, chicken and mastering a mornay sauce to fill those flying crepes.
My favorite weekends are mom and daughter weekends spent with Meredith. On a recent trip to Dallas to see her, we signed up for a cooking class. Sweet and savory crepes were the challenge. I had no doubt we were in store for a treat and more treasured memories, but that day I mastered crepes and learned so much more.
Steve and his wife had also registered for the class. Steve had a little competitive streak, just like my Meredith. As the class progressed, Meredith and Steve teamed up over the range to flip crepe after crepe. Steve was around my age, old enough to be Meredith’s dad, but their conversation never lulled. As Steve’s wife and I prepared fillings for our sweet and savory crepes, I overheard their conversation. They talked jobs and travel, the usual stuff, and then the conversation segued to Christ. In the middle of flipping crepes, Meredith shared her belief in Jesus Christ and tales of her recent mission trip to the “Island of Old Cars.” Steve listened intently, respecting and absorbing every word.
“How does she do that,” I wondered.
If you’re like me, I’m not that comfortable talking about my faith. For years, I’ve felt inadequate in knowledge and feared being tested so I lived my faith under the radar, in my home and in my church. Comfortable and untested. Neatly compartmentalized. But that’s not what Jesus calls us to do.
“Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16
As I eavesdropped on Meredith and Steve’s conversation, I realized that Jesus Christ fits in every conversation, even while flipping crepes in a cooking class. As Christ-followers, our belief in Jesus Christ should be so comfortable and natural to us that we inject His story in every conversation, discuss His word in every situation. Can you imagine our world if we did that?
Maybe it’s time that Christians make talking about Christ as common as talking about the weather.
But what if you’re like me, uncomfortable?
Faith is like a child, growing from infant to adult, each child masters milestones at different paces until adulthood is achieved. If you’re an infant in your faith, pick one book of the Bible and read it slowly. Study it. Pray about it. Then read another one. As you spend time reading the Bible, knowledge and confidence replace those feelings of inadequacy.
When those feelings of inadequacy are erased, choose a trusted friend and intentionally make conversation about Jesus Christ a central part of your conversation. Just as it takes practice for a toddler to master walking, it takes practice becoming comfortable expressing your faith. Share your faith story with your trusted friend, a bit at a time, and ask her to share her faith story with you. Let your faith journey unfold in the comfort of that trusted friend. Together your faith will multiply.
I’m somewhere in between that toddler and pre-teen stage and Jackie is my chosen, trusted friend. For several years now, we talk about the Bible, talk about our faith, our strengths and where we fail. We read parts of the Bible and then question each other, fleshing out God’s truth and guidance as we tackle the daily issues of life. Whether discussing football or political candidates, most of our conversations naturally center on Christ and that’s comfortable. With each conversation and each passing day, I’m becoming more confident and bold in my faith. I’m growing into an adult–that mature Christ-follower God seeks–naturally sharing my faith in conversations with friends and strangers, just like the weather. Even if they’re flipping crepes.
As we give our time to God, we’ll feel His presence and His comfort. He’ll guide us to include Jesus Christ in our everyday conversations, first with friends, then with strangers. Together we will preach the gospel to all creation.
Just like crepes, conversations about Jesus Christ are sweet and meant to be savored!