If you are like me and work in a secular environment, sometimes it can be hard to share your faith. People are always saying that we need to tell people about Jesus, or invite them to church, and those are good things, but sometimes I think that that might not be the right approach. For example, I work with some pretty rough guys. Some of them think that religion is just for people that are too weak or stupid to take life as it is. That Jesus is just a crutch for people that can't handle life. If I start trying to tell them about Jesus or ask them to come to church, they are not only going to ignore what I am trying to say but they might also pull away from me and make it hard for me to have a relationship with them.
This is the way that I try and do things. I live my life differently than them and they can see it. I don't hide the fact that I am a Christian or that I go to church, but I don't shove it in their faces either. If I can respect their choices and beliefs, even though I don't agree with them, then maybe they can learn to respect my beliefs as well. If I build a relationship with the guys I work with out of respect and honesty then when the time is right they will be much more receptive to anything that I might have to say. Especially if they can already see the peace and joy that God has given me.
If I can get to know them on a personal level, I can be a good friend and hopefully someone they can talk to about what is going on in their lives. Then I can pray for them much more specifically and really know where they need God to touch their lives.
Whether God ever gives me the opportunity to talk to them about Him or not is up to Him. But whether it is me or someone else later on, they will be much more open to it if they trust me and know that not all Christians are crazy people.
