Photo by Guy Gerrard
You can use your favorite pastime to help you grow in your relationship with God. You can even use it to talk about your faith with your friends. Try these four steps to use your hobby as a bridge to deeper spiritual conversations.
Your hobby is any activity you enjoy regularly during your free time. Use these questions to reflect on the hobbies you already have:
What are you good at?
What sort of activities make you feel more connected with God? Is there anything you’ve always wanted to try?
What sports do you enjoy?
Do any of your friends’ hobbies interest you?
Photo by Guy Gerrard
Practice being aware of God’s presence with you. Take a deep breath and dedicate your hobby time to knowing God better through an activity you enjoy.
Join your pickup basketball game.
Walk with you along a familiar trail.
Fill your mind with wonder as you create something new.
Enjoy the perfect cup of coffee or tea with you.
You can pray: God, I invite you to join me as I enjoy this hobby. Let this time refresh my spirit and teach me about You.
Notice what you enjoy about your hobby and think about how you can enjoy God’s character and values in the same way.
If you love the strategy and teamwork of playing a sport — think of all the times God has used strategy and teamwork to execute His plan of redemption. Maybe you just like to win — God loves to celebrate a victory, too!
If you’re more creative, and you express your creativity through art or music, celebrate God’s creation and imagination. When you’re proud of your finished work, consider how much He delights in His crown of creation — you.
Learning to connect with God through your hobby will make it easier to talk about Him with others who share your interests.
Photo by Guy Gerrard
Whether your hobby is group-oriented or a solo activity, invite others to join you by forming a team or offering to teach an activity or technique. Consider clubs in your community you could join. You can even invite a friend to join you!
How long have they been doing this activity?
What got them started?
How does this hobby represent their personality and strengths?
How is this hobby good for their mind, body, and spirit?
Photo by Guy Gerrard
Explain to your friend how you’re able to experience God through your hobby. By sharing how you experience God through this hobby, you can explain that your faith is an important part of your life and ask about the other person’s experience of God. Ask if they’ve thought about God this way.
What’s something you’ve learned about yourself in the last couple of months?
How did you experience religion growing up? How important is spirituality to you now?
Have you had any major turning points in life?
What has been one of the most spiritually significant moments in your life?
Ask, “How can I pray for you?” Consider praying with them then and there.
If you don't know how to share your faith, GodTools’ “Teach Me to Share” tool can walk you through it.
Don’t be discouraged if they don’t want to talk about religion or God, it can be a sensitive topic! Honor their limit and continue getting to know them, enjoying their company and participating in a shared activity or interest.
If talking about your faith makes you feel nervous, you’re not the only one. Many believers feel uncomfortable starting conversations about their faith. Remember to be patient with yourself. You don’t have to have a perfect gospel conversation to have a good gospel conversation.
It’s OK not to know the answers to their questions! You can say something like, “I don’t know. I’d be interested to learn more about that, too.”
If overcoming fear and anxiety feels too big, ask God to help you move past your fears.
It’s never too late to invite God into your favorite free-time activity. When you notice what your hobby can teach you about God, it’s easier to share what you’re learning with others. If your hobby can make you feel closer to God, who’s to say it couldn’t do the same for someone else, too?
Photo by Guy Gerrard
You can discover more ways to start spiritual conversations by downloading the GodTools app. To learn more about why it’s important to talk about your faith, check out these Four Motivators to Share Your Faith.
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