Keep it Light

“To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22, ASV.

When I teach Bible stories I try to keep things light. It’s not that I don’t see the seriousness of sharing the Gospel, but I learned that what seems serious, frank and direct to my culture is not received that way by Northern Thai people.

This truth came home to me as I was studying the Bible with a good friend from my neighborhood. Our conversation seemed to be going very well from my point of view. I was really sharing my heart about faith and God and life.

My friend stopped me with a question. He asked, “Why are you always so angry when you talk about God?” That question stopped me in my tracks. I decided right then that I needed to present Christian truth in a more lighthearted way. It is not that I soften the truth, I just soften my tone.

It would break my heart to learn at the end of my time in Thailand that people rejected the Savior because they thought that following Jesus makes a person angry. Thais love to smile and be free, happy and peaceful. They avoid outbursts of emotion, and are very sensitive to the tone of a person’s voice and his or her body language. When they read me, I want them to see the peace, happiness and freedom that come from a relationship with Jesus.

Pray that:

IMB workers among the Northern Thai will have wisdom to communicate the Gospel with words, actions, expressions and body language so that their people will know that God is love.

Cross-cultural workers will have wisdom to accommodate cultures without compromising the message.

God will prepare the hearts of many Northern Thai to receive the Gospel.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.