Last summer, I walked up to a guy at the Kansas City Market sitting on a bench and holding a sign. The handwritten sign read, “Would you like to talk about Jesus?” in bold letters. While I was walking up, a man in front of me, obviously a Christian, asked, “How’s it going? Have you talked to many people?” The frustrated sign holder said despondently, “I’m getting a million ‘No’s.'”  

While I think the sign holder had the best intentions, I also believe he was misguided. Sharing our faith, or evangelism, is rarely talking to random strangers about Jesus. While I will admit a few exceptions to this rule, I would adamantly argue that they are exceptions.

I believe this man could have used his time much more wisely for the sake of the Gospel. What if he took the time to visit all the neighbors around him and get to know them? What if he invited all his coworkers for a cookout and got to know them and their families? What if he had made an intentional effort to connect to a non-Christian he encountered every day, like a barista, the person working at the grocery store, a wait staff at a local restaurant, or a gas station cashier?

This approach to sharing your faith is called lifestyle evangelism or, as I call it, permission evangelism. A believer connects to a nonbeliever personally and earns permission to share their faith. It is about pouring your life into people so they know you care, which will open doors for spiritual conversations.

I get why the guy chose the sign on a Saturday afternoon. It is quick, easy, and requires little personal investment. Gaining permission is time-consuming, may cost you financially, and will pull at your soul’s depths.

The plea of scripture is that Christians are wise in the way they act toward outsiders, and today, that looks more like relationships than signs.