Sriracha is one of the world’s favorite hot sauces. With its perfect blend between naturally ripened jalapeños, garlic, sugar, vinegar, and other secret ingredients, it is mouthwatering. In case you didn’t notice, it is my hot sauce of choice. It is also a unique product because it has a cult following from food lovers everywhere. People wear t-shirts with an image of the sauce’s iconic bottle, and yes, I have one. In fact, sometimes when I wear my red sriracha t-shirt, I will meet a random stranger who will stop me and let me know they are a sriracha lover too. When that happens, there is an immediate connection established, as if we were long lost friends who met after many years apart.
Point of Connection
What is the relationship between hot sauce and the preaching of the Gospel? I am glad you asked. Like the people that find an immediate connection to me because of Sriracha, sharing the transformational message of Christ is often about finding a point of connection that can open the door for the message to go through. Yes, we are all different people with unique stories and lives. At the same time, we all share common experiences that can connect us — similar victories and defeats, traumas, battles, fears, etc.
What To Do When We Connect
Whenever hot sauce lovers connect, the subject immediately gravitates to food, recipes, meals, and experiences. When a spiritual connection is made through some common life experience, the conversation should gravitate towards the Gospel. Here are some practical steps you can take to guide the conversation to Jesus, who has the answer to the issues and questions, whatever they are.
Listen. It requires discipline to listen carefully when our goal is to share our story and the message of the Gospel. The only way to establish the connection is to listen for clues about the struggles and issues that connect us.
Be Authentic. This should be obvious, but trying to fabricate a connection will usually lead to disaster. After all, that’s how con artists manipulate people and deceive them.
Trust the Holy Spirit. One of the things I always say when sharing the Gospel is that these kinds of conversations do not happen by chance. The Holy Spirit brought you and the other person together for this special moment.
Open Your Heart. Once you find that point of connection, that common experience, open your heart and be willing to be vulnerable.
Share the Answer. The Gospel is the answer to their question, the solution to their struggle. Without being pushy, make sure to emphasize how God transformed your negative circumstances or used them to bring you to faith and to a new life.
One of the greatest privileges of my life have been to share my journey of discovering the Grace of God and then to walk with someone through the threshold of faith into the Kingdom of God. That is the reason God saved us and kept us here on the Earth. I hope you will seize every opportunity to share your unique story. It is a powerful tool in the hands of God to transform the lives of others, just like it has transformed yours.
It takes sacrifices to help the lost experience to faith. How have you made sacrifices in your life lately for the sake of the Gospel?