Common Ground | 1 Corinthians 9:22–23

“When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:22–23 NLT)

Our world today is full of religious people, but many of them shy away from using that word to describe themselves. “Religious” has too many negative connotations, as far as they’re concerned. So instead, they use a different word: spiritual. They’ll describe themselves as “very spiritual” and then will add, “But I’m not into organized religion.”

Statements like this can become a segue for sharing the gospel. As believers we can say, “Really? I’m a spiritual person, too. In fact, I’m really into spiritual things, and I want to talk to you about an important spiritual truth I’ve discovered.”

Some people may suggest that this sounds like compromise, agreeing with a worldly point of view. But that’s not the case. It’s not a compromise to acknowledge someone’s belief, even if we don’t agree with that belief. Rather, it’s simply a matter of using understandable language to build a bridge so that you can talk about your relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s a matter of finding common ground, a place where the other person feels conversationally comfortable—and more likely to be receptive to the gospel message.

When the apostle Paul addressed the men of Athens, he said, “I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about” (Acts 17:22–23 NLT).

Notice that Paul didn’t say, “Hey, what you’re doing is legit.” But neither did he belittle their unusual inscription or try to correct their theology. He simply used language that the people of Athens could understand to connect with them about his most important message. Paul understood what all believers need to understand: Evangelism is a dialogue, not a monologue. You ask a question, and the other person gives you an answer. Then you respond to what the person said. They say something, and you say something.

This is what Paul was talking about when he said, “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:22–23 NLT). Finding common ground with everyone is a tall order. It’s a good thing the Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way. It’s also a good thing that the first step in finding that common ground requires us to do nothing more than listen.

Reflection question: How do you try to find common ground with others when you share your faith? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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