Sharing with another barber...

I've had several blog posts that I've wanted to make over the past few weeks and simply haven't made the time, but I'm hoping to make a few of them over the next week or two.

About three weeks ago I got my hair cut. The barber is a friendly fellow in his 60's. He works on a walk-in basis, so you never know who else will be there while you're having your hair cut. He and I have talked about spiritual things briefly in the past, but I had never had the opportunity (or taken advantage of an opportunity) to really share with him.

I've been praying that God will give me an opportunity to share with this barber, and I was especially hoping it would work out this latest time because I will probably be needing to use a different barber for a period of time (long story why).

As the barber was cutting my hair we talked about a lot of topics, including the death of his neighbor. The man was in his 50's, and was the barber's favorite neighbor. The visitation was the next day and would be followed by the funeral.

As we were talking about death the haircut was being finished up, and no one else had shown up. I was really glad that no one else had shown up (I can only recall one other time in the past few years that there has been no one after me), and after I had paid I tied the death into spiritual things. I said we had talked about a lot of things over the past few years, but something I really like talking about with people is their soul.

I asked him if he believed in a God, and he did (I normally don't start witnessing with such a question…). I asked if he believed in heaven and hell, and he did. I asked if he would be OK if I shared with him a little while, and he said "sure". I know he is a nominal Catholic, and I asked if he believed in the Bible, and he said that he did.

I gently brought up the commandments and we talked about a few of those, and he was open enough to admit that he had broken the commandments. After sharing about those and what the Bible says the consequence for our sin is, I asked him if he knew what the Bible says can be done for someone who is deserving of hell so that they can be saved from such a demise. He said he had no idea, but was open to me sharing with him.

I prefaced what I was going to share by saying that there are too many people taking other people's words for what the Bible says. I encouraged him to double-check everything that I shared with him so he could see for himself.

I shared the story of my grandfather's auto accident and the time that he paid the fine for the guilty driver. I used analogies from the legal system to show what salvation isn't:
- I've confessed my sin
- I'm living a much better life
- My good works will offset my bad ones
- I'm doing good things for God
- God is going to overlook our sin and just forgive us all

And then I went down the Romans road. My goal was to clearly explain what the Bible says about salvation, and all the while encouraging him to repent and place his faith in Jesus, and Jesus alone.

I told him that I felt my responsibility was to share with him, but that (obviously) the final decision was simply between him and God. He could choose to reject the free offer of salvation, or he could repent and turn to Christ.

At one point I shared what Jesus told Nicodemus: you must be born again if you want to see the kingdom of Heaven. I said that I didn't think he was born again, and then specifically asked him if he was born again: he said he wasn't.

We probably talked (with me doing most of the talking - but he was truly listening and was participating in the conversation) for about 20 minutes after the hair cut, and in that time no one else came in. Towards the end of that time I asked if I could pray for him, and he nervously laughed and asked, "Why? Do I look like I need it?" I said that we all do, but he was not comfortable allowing me to pray for him right then.

I strongly encouraged him to be reading his Bible, and to pray and ask God to reveal Himself to him. I suggested he read in the book of John, and that he pray and ask God to show him what it means to be born again.

I left the barber shop that day rejoicing in the opportunity that God gave me. I had really wanted an opportunity to share with him, and was so grateful that he was receptive and would listen.

And since then I've been praying for him every day that the Holy Spirit will work in his heart...