Recently, our seminar provided an opportunity to learn about meeting people where they are and how to invest in them with confidence and love.
During the session, a participant leaned over to a friend and whispered, “This is the one I’m afraid of.” She was pointing to a key takeaway: Every interaction with someone is a testimony to what one believes about God. Her vulnerability struck a chord. She explained how she had been praying for two coworkers, but their interactions often felt strained, leaving her doubting whether she was living out her faith effectively. Many can likely relate to her struggle.
One attendee recalled a time when they offered to cover a coworker so she could attend a doctor’s appointment. Understanding the importance of the appointment, they readily agreed to come in early. One morning, while reading a devotional, their eyes kept wandering to the verse: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Frustrated at first, they eventually paused to ask God what He wanted them to learn.
Shortly after, a phone call came in. It was the coworker, asking where they were. A scheduling error had occurred—PM instead of AM was marked on the calendar. Instead of helping, they had unintentionally made the situation worse. Beating themselves up on the way to work, they knew the coworker was upset and understandably so. The natural response was to offer an explanation—to insist that it wasn’t intentional. But in that moment, the earlier scripture came to mind.
Arriving at work, they encountered several coworkers gossiping about the mistake. But rather than making excuses or wallowing in shame, they walked in and sincerely apologized for making the coworker late. Acknowledging the importance of the appointment, they asked for forgiveness. The coworker was taken aback. The tension in the room shifted, and it became clear that only through God’s power and grace was the situation redeemed.
Reflecting on the moment, they shared this realization: “Everyone expects imperfection, but no one expects a humble and repentant response to our imperfections.” That is how interactions can show others what one believes about God. Responding to imperfections with humility and grace can serve as a greater testimony than any achievement when God's power is allowed to work through weakness.
Before extending invitations to faith, perhaps the first step is to accept God's invitation. Embracing His grace, trusting Him in weaknesses, and stepping boldly into whatever He calls His followers to do can transform everyday interactions.
Lives, imperfections and all, can become beautiful displays of His power at work. When testimonies display His power, invitations to faith become irresistible.
Will others take this step?
