與他人分享你的信仰的七種簡單方法7 Simple Ways to Share YourFaith with Others
作者:Nicholas Davis 譯者:駱鴻銘譯
和其他人分享上帝在你的人生中所安置的基督信仰,比你想像的要容易得多。你今天就可以開始和其他人分享你的信仰。以下是七項最被人忽略的,與其他人分享信仰的方法。
It’s
a lot easier than you think to share the Christian faith with other people that
God has placed in your life. You can start sharing your faith with others
today. Here are seven of the most overlooked ways to share your faith with
others.
1. 在不經意間提到你是個固定上教會的基督徒。
1.
Casually mention that you are a Christian who goes to church.
讓其他人知道你是個基督徒。不要用一種超級噁心的方式去炫耀,或者買很多基督教標語的貼紙,在車上貼得到處都是,只為了證明你是個基督徒。我的意思是,要用各種實際的、有愛心的、友好的方式,有系統地向他人說明一個基督徒的樣子,並且告訴其他人,你今天會這樣,不是因為你真的是個好人,而是因為耶穌為了赦免你、愛你,而已經成就的工作有哪些。
Let
others know that you are a Christian. Don’t flaunt it in a super nauseating way
or buy bumper stickers to put all over your car just to prove it. What I mean
by this is organically show others in tangible, loving, and hospitable ways
what a Christian looks like, and tell others that you are this way not because
you’re a really nice person but because of what Jesus has done to forgive and
love you.
霍頓(Michael Horton)在神學院裏曾經告訴我們:「基督徒的問題不是他們沒有去他們應該去的『地方』(where),而是他們沒有在上帝要他們去的地方,成為他們應該成為的『人』(who)。」你是什麼樣的人,比你去什麼地方更重要。我只是想告訴你,公開坦誠地和別人分享你是誰,會立刻打開未來和他們談話的大門。做你自己。
Michael
Horton once told a group of us in seminary that “The problem with Christians is
not that they aren’t where they should be. The problem with Christians is they
aren’t who they should be wherever God has called them to be.” I’m telling you,
simply being open and honest with others about who you are will instantly open
the doorway for future conversations with them. Be yourself.
2. 問你的朋友、同事、同學,關於他們相信什麼的一些問題。
2.
Ask questions about what your friends, coworkers, and colleagues believe.
透過問一些公開、坦誠的,關於其他人相信什麼的問題,你就可以開啟一段對話,也一定會讓你有更多機會,和人討論基督信仰。要確定自己會帶著同情心,仔細聆聽他們說的,並且在和他們交流之前,試著去了解他們的想法,是什麼背景讓他們會有這樣的信念。
By
asking open and honest questions about what other people believe, you’re
getting the conversation started, and more opportunities to discuss the
Christian faith will almost certainly come your way. Be sure to listen
carefully and sympathetically to them, and seek to understand where they are
coming from before interacting with them.
3. 邀請朋友問你關於你信仰的問題,並且容許他們對基督信仰提出自己的反對意見。
3.
Invite a friend to ask you questions about your faith, and allow for them to
raise their own objections to Christianity.
我們往往會急著想要知道,如何「使別人信耶穌」,以至於我們從來沒有認真停下來,好好思考人們對於我們信什麼、為什麼信,所提出來的許多問題和反對意見。你是否曾經讓你的朋友有機會挑戰你,讓你下不了台呢?放下自己的防禦心態,你可以開啟一些有意義的談話,甚至可以更清楚地和他們分享福音,那是你以前不可能辦到的!
Often
we’re so busy trying to figure out how to “win others to Christ” that we have
never really stopped to think about the many objections and questions people
might have about what we believe and why we believe it. Have you ever given
your friends the opportunity to put you on the spot? By letting your own guard
down, you may allow some really great conversations to begin, and you might
even be able to share the gospel with them more clearly than you ever were able
to before!
4. 邀請朋友和你一起去教會崇拜。
4.
Ask a friend to go to a church service with you.
這是我所知最簡單的和人分享信仰的方式,因為這只需要一個邀請。畢竟,那只是帶一個朋友去參加一個「show and tell」(美國小學生的一個活動,學生把自己生活中有趣的事物帶到學校,用簡單的話加以介紹,以訓練表達能力),你甚至不用作任何準備!牧師在台上講道,這事本身就可以讓人提出許多問題,並且在崇拜服事之後,為你和你的朋友提供思想上的佐料來討論。
This
is the easiest way that I know of to share your faith because it only requires
an invitation. After that, it’s bringing a friend along for a “show and tell”
that you didn’t even have to prepare! A pastor preaches the sermon, and that
itself will raise a host of questions and provide food for thought for you and
your friend after the service.
最糟糕的情況頂多是你的朋友說他們太忙,沒有時間和你一起去,或表明他們對這事沒什麼興趣。你們還是可以作朋友,不必因此感到不好意思。
As a
worst-case scenario, your friend will just say that they’re too busy to join
you or express that they’re really not all that interested. You’ll still be
able to remain friends, and you didn’t even embarrass yourself.
5. 分享你個人的掙扎或難處,並且說明福音如何幫助你面對這個問題。
5.
Share a personal struggle or problem that you’ve had, and show how the gospel
helps you deal with that issue.
我們每個人隨時都在掙扎著,要如何去愛一個仇敵;我也打賭,我們每個人都曾經被其他人冤枉過。告訴你的朋友,這件事何時曾經發生在你身上,或者和他們分享你目前正在經歷的,然後跟他們說,只有福音能夠讓你向那些不值得原諒的人,說明你真的原諒了他們——正如上帝向你顯明的,我們所不配得的恩典和赦免。
Every
one of us struggles to love an enemy, and I’ll bet every one of us has been
wronged by another human being. Tell your friend about a time that this has
happened to you, or share with them about what you are currently going through,
then mention to them that only the gospel allows for you to show forgiveness to
those who are undeserving of it—just as we are undeserving of the grace and
forgiveness that God has shown to us.
如果你曾經面對你人生中的重大損失(失去摯愛的人,經濟上的損失,或感情上的傷痛),或者你必須處理焦慮或憂鬱,和他們分享基督信仰如何是一個承認痛苦的宗教(不像佛教只是否認痛苦),是關於有一個人(耶穌)為我們受苦,並應許要結束一切痛苦的宗教。你有許多方法可以分享你的掙扎和難處,但是盼望這能給你一條前行之路,並且給你勇氣向其他人談論你的信仰。
If
you’ve dealt with great loss in your life (loss of a loved one, financial loss,
or emotional loss), or you’ve had to deal with anxiety or depression, share
with them how Christianity is a religion that acknowledges suffering, is all
about a person (Jesus) who suffered for us and has promised to end all
suffering. There are so many different ways you can do this, but hopefully,
this gives you a pathway forward and helps to give you the courage to speak to
others about your faith.
6. 買關於基督信仰的書送給朋友,並且邀請他們一起喝咖啡或吃飯來討論這本書。
6.
Buy a friend a book that is about Christianity, and offer to discuss the book
with them over coffee or a meal.
有許多書可以滿足這個需求,也有許多書籍從不同的角度,談到我們朋友有興趣的事。我常常會送其他人的是霍頓(Michael Horton)寫的一本小書:《平凡》(暫譯;Ordinary)。這本身的篇幅不長,花費不多,卻談到了基督徒和非基督徒或在一個繁忙的世界裏會分享的一些共同經驗。你的朋友也許不會立刻讀這本書,但是無論他們何時找到時間去讀,你就可以和他們討論這本書其中的主題。這會給你機會分享你的信仰,並邀請他們去教會。
There
are many books that can satisfy this need, and plenty of books come from
different angles and can address the various interests of all of our friends.
One of the books I’ll often buy for others is Ordinary by Michael S. Horton.
It’s a short read that is low in cost but hits on a lot of common experiences
that Christians and non-Christians alike share while living in a busy world.
Your friend may not read the book right away, but whenever they do get around
to it, you can discuss some of the main points of the book. It may give you the
opportunity to share your faith and invite them to church.
7. 和你的朋友、家人、同事、鄰居實際分享福音。
7.
Actually share the gospel with one of your friends, family members, co-workers,
or neighbors.
我把這點放在這份清單上,聽起來很愚蠢,但是我遇到許多人,他們認識很多非基督徒,但是這些非基督徒甚至不知道他們有一位基督徒友人!造成這點的其中一個原因,是因為我們急於讓別人接納我們,以至於我們把自己的一部分隱藏起來,好維持這份友誼。但是如果你隱瞞你生命中一個很重要的層面,這還算是真正的友情嗎?要勇敢一點,和你熟悉的人分享福音。到頭來,他們也許就會和你一起去教會!這比你想像的要簡單得多。
It
sounds silly for me to include this one on the list, but I’ve come across a lot
of people who know many non-Christians, yet these non-Christians don’t even
know that they have a Christian friend! Part of this is because we want to be
accepted by others so badly that we hide a part of ourselves from them in order
to keep the friendship. But is that really a friendship if a major aspect of
your life remains hidden? Be bold and share the gospel with people you know
really well. They may just end up coming with you to church! It’s a lot easier
than you think. And when you need help, you can always refer your friends to
our website ;).