Apply Yourself to the Field Ministry for the Week of January 4-10, 2027

Following Up

Publisher: Hello, Teresa. Did you get the boxes you were looking for for your daughter’s move?

Householder: Yes, the store saved a few for me. Now I have to decide what she’s taking and what she’s leaving. She says she doesn’t need much, but we already have six boxes.

Publisher: Once you start putting things away, you always find something else. Is she leaving this weekend after all?

Householder: Yes, on Saturday. She’s thrilled about the new job. I’m happy for her too, but she’s never lived this far away. I’m sure I’ll be watching the phone.

Publisher: Of course. You’re happy for her, but at the same time you’re worried about having her so far away. Last time you mentioned that you sometimes pray for your children, but you weren’t sure whether God listens to those concerns.

Householder: That’s right. With everything happening in the world, my concerns seem insignificant. Besides, I almost always end up asking for the same thing—that they be safe and that nothing happen to them.

Publisher: Is what makes you doubt it the thought that your concerns aren’t important enough to tell God about?

Householder: Yes, and I don’t know how to express myself as well as other people. I hear them pray, and it seems they find the words right away. I get stuck or become distracted thinking about what I still have to do.

Publisher: There’s a passage that addresses that concern very well. It helps us see what kind of prayer God invites us to offer. Would you like me to read it?

Householder: Yes, please read it. I’d like to know whether I need to learn a particular prayer.

Publisher: Notice that it speaks about expressing what is in our heart, not about memorizing certain words. Listen to what Psalm 62:8 says.

Publisher: Psalms 62:8 — Trust in him at all times, O people. Pour out your hearts before him. God is a refuge for us. (Selah) That invitation to pour out our heart shows that God wants us to pray to him sincerely. You can tell him how you feel about your daughter’s leaving, even if it is difficult for you to find the words.

Householder: But I wouldn’t expect everything to go well for my daughter just because I asked for it. That doesn’t always happen.

Publisher: You’re right. This passage doesn’t promise that everything will turn out the way we ask. It invites us to trust in God and seek refuge in him. We can tell him our worries and ask him to help us cope with them.

Householder: Seen that way, I shouldn’t ask only that nothing happen to her. I could also tell him how hard it is for me to accept that she is now living her own life.

Publisher: Yes, that is also part of what is in your heart. You can be happy for her and at the same time explain your fears to God. You don’t need to hide them or prepare a speech.

Householder: I’ll keep thinking about that. But I’m busy now; I have to finish these boxes before my daughter arrives.

Publisher: Of course, I’ll let you get back to it. What day and time would work well for us to talk again?

Householder: Tuesday, after six. Six-thirty would be fine.

Publisher: Then Tuesday at six-thirty. I’ll write it down. I hope the move goes well, Teresa.

Publisher: Would that time work even if you still have moving tasks to finish? We could make it a brief visit, so you wouldn’t have to set aside the whole afternoon.

Householder: Yes, I can make that time. What worries me is committing to a long conversation. My daughter will probably call to tell me how things are going.

Publisher: I understand. We can leave just one question for that day: How does the Bible teach us to pray? We’ll consider one piece of advice and how to put it into practice. And if your daughter calls, I’ll let you take the call.

Householder: That sounds good. I’m interested in learning, but I’d rather take it slowly. One question at a time works for me.

Householder: See you Tuesday.

Following Up

Publisher: The boots turned out great! I thought you would have to replace the whole sole.

Householder: No, it was only coming loose at the front. The rest is still holding up. If you take care of them, you’ll have boots for quite a while.

Publisher: I’m glad, because they’re the most comfortable ones I have. Were you able to finish all your orders? The other day the counter was full and we could hardly talk.

Householder: Yes, although I took some work home. And about that Bible course you mentioned, I’d rather tell you no. I don’t want to start something and then leave it unfinished.

Publisher: That’s fine; you don’t have to commit to anything. Thanks for telling me. By the way, should I pay you now, or would you rather I wait until you finish with that shoe?

Householder: Now is fine; the glue has to dry. These are the only quiet minutes of the morning. Earlier a customer came in angry because his shoes weren’t ready. But we had agreed on tomorrow, not today.

Publisher: I see, and you had organized the work based on that deadline. Were you able to clarify it with him?

Householder: I showed him the date on the receipt. He lowered his voice a little, but he left complaining. I wasn’t very kind either, to be honest. When someone comes at me like that, it’s hard not to respond the same way.

Publisher: I also find it difficult when I feel that I’m being treated unfairly. One thing I value about Jesus is his advice on how to treat others. We don’t need a long conversation to learn one of his teachings.

Householder: But won’t we end up talking again about my taking the course?

Publisher: No, don’t worry. You said you don’t want to, and I respect that. I was thinking of showing you just one idea from this section about Jesus in the brochure A Labor of Love. We can look at it here and leave it at that.

Householder: One idea is fine. I’d like to know what it has to do with what happened to me, because problems at the counter don’t always have a neat solution.

Publisher: Of course, we can’t make a customer change his attitude. This section explains that Jesus was a great teacher and that his advice always works. One of his teachings helps us decide how to respond, even when the other person does not cooperate. Notice what he taught at Matthew 7:12; I’ll read it to you. This passage is very appropriate. Would you like to read Matthew 7:12?

Publisher: Matthew 7:12 — “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them. This, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean. I’m struck by the fact that Jesus invites us to think about how we would like to be treated, not simply about how we have just been treated. That helps me not to respond impulsively.

Householder: I understand the idea. But if I give in every time someone complains, I’ll end up making customers who respect the deadlines wait.

Publisher: And they also deserve consideration. Applying that advice doesn’t mean you have to move his order ahead. You can keep the agreed date and explain it without humiliating him. If you had confused the day, how would you prefer someone to tell you?

Householder: Certainly not in front of everyone as if I couldn’t read. I suppose it would be enough to show me the paper and tell me when I could pick them up.

Publisher: That would be a specific way to apply the advice: clarify the mistake as you would want it clarified to you. The work would still be ready tomorrow, but you wouldn’t add an insult to the misunderstanding.

Householder: That may be true. Although some people get angry no matter how carefully you act. You don’t always come out ahead by being kind.

Publisher: That’s true. The advice doesn’t guarantee that the other person will respond well. But it does guide you to treat him considerately. Its usefulness does not depend on everyone agreeing with you.

Householder: I understand it better that way. It’s not about changing the customer, but about taking care of what I do. I can try that, although I’ll have to remember it before I open my mouth.

Publisher: I have the same problem. If you ever become curious about the course, we can watch a video showing what it is like. But you don’t have to decide anything now.

Householder: For now I’d rather keep this thought. Write down where that statement is so I can look it up in the Bible I have at home.

Publisher: Of course. And when you read it at home, you can also think about your next encounter with that customer. Even though this morning did not go well, tomorrow you’ll have another opportunity to treat him as you would like to be treated.

Householder: Do you mean apologizing to him? That would be difficult, because it might seem that I’m admitting he was right about the date.

Publisher: You can apologize for your tone without changing what was agreed. For example: “I’m sorry I answered you that way yesterday. I should have explained it more calmly.” That way you acknowledge your part, not a mistake you didn’t make.

Householder: That’s different. I can admit that I answered badly without arguing about the date again. I’ll think about that when I read the advice.

Publisher: Right, Matthew 7:12. I’ll write it down here for you. And tell me how much I owe you for the boots.

What Would You Say?

This five-minute assignment is an audience discussion about informal witnessing. The picture places us in a doctor’s waiting room, where an older man is reading an article about war. The objective is to show sincere interest by listening. We will review A Labor of Love, lesson 1, point 5, and consider James 1:19 and Matthew 7:12.

Point 5 reminds us: “Listen. Do not do all the talking. Give the person an opportunity to express himself. When appropriate, ask questions.” This guidance affects both how we begin and what we do afterward. A good opening statement accomplishes little if we immediately take over the conversation and leave no room to get to know the person.

First, let us think about our willingness to listen. We may see an opportunity to talk about the Bible and focus on what we want to say. But we need to pay attention to what the other person wants to express. To remember what should come first, let us listen to the advice found at James 1:19.

James 1:19 — Know this, my beloved brothers: Everyone must be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger,

This advice encourages us not to be quick to respond. Applied to the picture, it means that we do not have to explain everything we know about wars right away. First we need to find out whether the man wants to talk and what aspect of the subject interests him. Listening can completely change the direction we had planned for the conversation.

Let us observe the picture without adding details we do not know. We see a man reading about war; we do not know what he thinks, how he feels, or whether he has relatives who have been affected. We also do not know whether he wants to continue reading quietly. So it would be best to avoid personal questions or comments that assume emotions he has not yet expressed.

According to what we see in the picture, what could you say to start a conversation? One possibility, if he looks up and seems willing to talk, would be to comment: “It is difficult to read news about war. You think about the people who are going through that.” It is a brief observation related to what he is reading, and it does not demand a response.

After that comment, the important thing would be to stop and listen. If he answers briefly and returns to the newspaper, there is no need to ask another question to hold his attention. We can let him read peacefully. Applying the lesson is not measured by how much we manage to say, but by the sincere interest we show, even when the conversation does not continue.

If he decides to converse, he might mention the suffering of families or say that he finds it difficult to understand how some people can treat others that way. In that case, we could first acknowledge that concern: “Yes, it hurts to think about families who are suffering.” We would not be pretending to agree with a political opinion; we would be acknowledging a human concern that we can sincerely share.

He may express a strongly held political position. We would not need to debate it or approve it in order to maintain a pleasant conversation. We could focus on the suffering he mentions and listen without turning the encounter into a debate. Nor would it be appropriate to use a pause to recite a prepared explanation that does not respond to what he has just said.

What text would you show? If the conversation centers on how we treat one another, one option would be Matthew 7:12. This text allows us to share a simple principle related to that concern without entering into political controversies. We would not present it as an explanation of all the causes of war, because that is not the subject it develops.

To connect with what the man has said, we could mention that his words make us think of advice from Jesus about treating others and ask whether he would like to know it. We would continue only if he shows a willingness to listen. Let us read that advice ourselves to see how it fits the conversation: Matthew 7:12.

Matthew 7:12 — “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them. This, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean.

The principle invites us to think about the treatment we want to receive and to act that way toward others. After showing it, one related question would be enough, such as: “What would change if more people treated others that way?” Then we would listen to his answer without assuming that he necessarily agrees with us.

He may consider it good advice but unrealistic. We could acknowledge that we cannot force others to follow it. Even so, the principle can guide our own decisions. For example, when we disagree with someone, we can treat him with the same respect we want to receive. That explanation answers the difficulty raised without minimizing its importance.

If he does not want to talk about the Bible, we would respect his decision. If he is called in for his appointment, we would end with a kind farewell, without trying to add one last explanation. Thus, the approach is natural because it arises from a visible situation; respectful because it does not presume feelings or force the conversation; and adaptable because what we say next will depend on what he expresses.

The key is not to memorize a perfect introduction. It is to observe, say something appropriate, and leave room to listen. In this scene, the newspaper can open a conversation, but the man’s response will help us decide how to continue. Showing sincere interest includes knowing when to ask, when to share a text, and when to remain silent.

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