By: Chef Niku
A great strategy in reaching your Japanese friends is establishing the relationship before going deeper into spiritual topics or the Gospel first. Introducing yourself and getting to know him or her and asking questions such as family, work and hobbies are great ways to get a friendship started. Talking about surface level topics and intentionally spending time with them will make a great impact and prepare their hearts to talk about deeper topics and hopefully receive the Gospel.
Even though it may seem counter-productive to be their friend and just spend time together doing enjoyable activities rather than sharing the Gospel or talking about deeper things, it really is not. During this time of hanging out and meeting together, you are building trust and allow them to see the real you. With trust comes great openness and vulnerability to share deeper topics over time and this allows the conversations to happen naturally and not seem forced. Praying for opportunities and looking for chances to share the Gospel or parts of it will come eventually, just be open to the Spirit’s leading.
Paul says in the New Testament that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). As the Lord loves us, we are to love others in a similar way and this includes our Japanese friends. The Lord is patient with us so why shouldn’t we be patient and take the time to get to know our wonderful Japanese friends whom the Lord loves and values dearly. If this is how the Lord relates to us in a loving and patient way, shouldn’t we do the same with our Japanese friends?
It is very important to find out what their needs are. What kind of help are they in need of? How can you help with their needs in life? If you are ministering to Japanese outside Japan, a way to minister is to help give your friends rides to the grocery store, for medical appointments, to the bus stop. I am sure you can think of places you could give your Japanese friends a ride somewhere (of course, some may have cars, so this only applies to some). For those who don’t have a car, giving rides is a great way to build a relationship and helping to meet a tangible need. As you go from place to place, naturally you will get to know each other and allow for deeper and Christ centered conversations to hopefully happen. Doing this will show the love of Christ and plant or water seeds of truth from God in their heart. A very practical way to minister to your friends.
You can also invite your Japanese friends to participate with you when you do your hobbies. For example, if you like to go hiking or for walks, why not ask and see if your friend wants to go too? It would be a great way to spend the time with them and continue to develop the relationship. Or, if you enjoy cooking, you could invite them to your house and cook a meal. The possibilities are endless and usually doesn’t require you to go too much out of the way with your schedule.
What other ways can you think of to minister to your Japanese friends? What is one take away from reading this article?