Be All Things to People of All Sorts
1 To be helpful in our service we need to be able to talk with others. This means being adaptable, because we meet all kinds of people. Some will raise objections, saying that they have their religion or are busy or simply that they are not interested. Perhaps they have heard others speak against our work and so have closed their minds to the message before really hearing it. What can we do to help them?
2 The apostle Paul apparently encountered objections also, so he used different approaches in speaking to different people. As he said: “To the Jews I became as a Jew . . . To those without law I became as without law . . . To the weak I became weak . . . I have become all things to people of all sorts, that I might by all means save some. But I do all things for the sake of the good news, that I may become a sharer of it with others.” (1 Cor. 9:20-23) Do we also try to be adaptable in speaking to the people we meet?
FOR THOSE WHO ARE “TOO BUSY”
3 Often people will interrupt our introduction, saying, “I’m busy.” It may be that the person truly is busy and would appreciate our showing consideration. In such a case we might say: “I’m sorry I caught you at a bad time. I wanted to share a thought from the Bible with you. However, since you do not have time, perhaps I can leave this (booklet, magazine or handbill) with you. Then when it is more convenient I would be happy to discuss the Scriptural thought with you.” Often people accept something when this is done in a friendly way, and they appreciate our showing consideration for the fact that they are busy.
4 Sometimes it may suffice to assure the person that you will be brief. Some brothers look at their watch and say, “I can explain my purpose in two minutes,” and they keep their promise. Instead of trying to engage the person in a conversation, you can quickly state the purpose of your call, whether to discuss a scripture, invite the person to a public talk (and suggest they read the message on the handbill), or show them the literature so they will have something to read later. It all depends on the attitude or situation of the householder. We cannot expect all people to drop what they are doing to listen if it is not convenient when we call. In some cases we might simply ask if it would be more convenient if we were to call back a little later. Or we may have to express the hope that we can talk to them another time when it is more convenient.
FOR THOSE WHO ‘HAVE THEIR OWN RELIGION’
5 Another expression we sometimes hear is, “I have my own religion.” We can always reply that we are glad to know that, and inquire if they do not think it is good to know the viewpoint of different people and what they believe since there are so many different religions in the country. Or we might say that we are glad to know that they believe in God, adding that we have found that most people feel that regardless of the religion to which they belong, it is good to increase one’s personal knowledge of the Bible, as it contributes so much to one’s faith.
6 One brother, in reply to those who say they have their own religion, remarks pleasantly: “Well now, we aren’t going to fall out over that, are we? After all, the religion to which a person belongs is a personal matter, don’t you agree? Our purpose is simply to encourage a study of the Bible. We are not soliciting church membership. But we feel sure that if a person learns what the Bible teaches, he or she will be a better Christian, don’t you agree? What a person does with that Bible knowledge is up to him. We would be happy to show you briefly a method of family Bible discussion that millions have enjoyed.”
7 If this “religious” objection is raised frequently, it may be advantageous to bring it up ourselves in our introduction, saying: “I am visiting people most of whom have their own religion. No doubt you do too, and the reason I’m stopping by is to get your viewpoint on this subject . . . ”
8 You may have another reply that works well for you, or you may wish to try some of these suggestions that you think would be appropriate. Since our message is important we would like to present it to the people whenever convenient. So it is good for all of us to learn how to reply to objections, not necessarily expecting to “overcome” them, but trying to be adaptable, as Paul was. We do not desire to argue with people, but as Paul explained, “I do all things for the sake of the good news, that I may become a sharer of it with others.” This should be our objective also.