BBXtra- October- Tactics
Many Christians want to share their faith but feel trapped between silence and a shouting match. This conversation offers another path: diplomacy rooted in Scripture, clarity, and a gentle posture. We explore a practical framework inspired by Greg Koukl’s Tactics that replaces pressure with patience and swaps arguments for questions. The aim is not to “win the day,” but to build a steady, sustainable habit of witness. By treating evangelism as a series of meaningful moments instead of a single decisive showdown, we reduce anxiety and increase impact. That shift sets the tone for the entire approach and helps us step into real relationships with confidence.
A central idea is to “put a stone in the shoe.” Think of the small pebble that doesn’t stop your walk, but you can’t forget it either. In spiritual conversations, that “stone” is a compelling thought, question, or story that lingers long after the chat ends. When you focus on offering one clear takeaway, you remove the pressure to engineer an instant conversion. You also honor how people process truth: slowly, personally, and often in layers. This reframe keeps you present, curious, and humble, freeing you to listen well and speak simply instead of chasing sweeping conclusions.
Closely tied to that is the move from harvesting to gardening. Harvesting assumes it all depends on you today. Gardening recognizes stages: soil-breaking, planting, watering, and waiting. Someone else may have tilled the ground through a video, a book, or a friend’s kindness. Your role may be to water with a thoughtful question or a story of answered prayer. Over time, the Holy Spirit works beneath the surface, and growth appears when the season is right. That patience changes your posture from frantic to faithful, allowing you to show up consistently with hope instead of hurry.
A tactical mindset gives structure to this patience. Ambassadors for Christ carry three essentials: knowledge of the gospel, wisdom to apply it, and character that makes it believable. Tactics are not tricks; they’re a plan for staying calm and steering conversations with questions. When someone asserts, “The Bible is corrupted,” respond with, “Can you show me one example?” That simple question shifts the burden of proof back to the person making the claim and often reveals assumptions. You don’t have to carry every argument; you can invite clarity and gently expose weak ideas by asking for specifics.
Staying calm and confident is both a witness and a skill. Calm tells the other person you care more about them than about scoring points. Confidence communicates that your hope is grounded in something solid, not in rhetorical wins. The best way to cultivate both is to prepare a few go-to questions: What do you mean by that? How did you come to that conclusion? Have you considered this perspective? These questions lower the temperature, keep the dialogue human, and help people think out loud. Over time, you become known for curiosity and courage, not conflict.
Finally, remember you are not alone in any conversation. The Holy Spirit loves the person in front of you more than you ever could and is already at work. Your role is to show up, ask good questions, share your story with kindness, and entrust outcomes to God. When you believe that, pressure fades and presence grows. You move from fearing conversations to looking forward to them. You may not harvest today, but you can plant a seed that matters tomorrow. That’s the quiet power of diplomacy: steady, patient, and full of grace.
Let’s read it together.
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