“Tell me about your holiday,” I said. “What’s Thailand like?”.

Less than 10 minutes later with chicken schnitzel burger demolished, I was raring to get back to the office and open up the special offers page on the Jetstar website!

My friend Simon isn’t a travel agent. While I don’t want to undersell him, I don’t think he’s read many books on Thailand, nor does he know much about the history or culture of the country. In fact, apart from his 10-day visit, his experience of all things Thai probably doesn’t extend much further than knowing where to get a tasty massaman beef in Newtown.

For someone who isn’t an expert, his recommendation carried a lot of weight – enough for me to eagerly start convincing my wife that we should go. So why didn’t his lack of expertise phase me? Two simple reasons:

1. He’s my friend, and

2. He spoke passionately about his experience.

The recommendation of a friend is powerful. We’re increasingly skeptical of advertising, but we trust ‘word of mouth’ – i.e. our friends. This isn’t a surprise – after all, they’re quality people just like us! If someone I like likes holidaying in Thailand, then I probably would do.

But his energetic endorsement of Thailand also left a big impression. The food (he could’ve stopped there!), the friendly service, the beaches at Bang Tao, the ferry ride to Phi Phi Don. He had a great time and was passionate about sharing it – and I was more than ready to listen!

In this short interaction, I was a changed man – a nation I’d never even considered visiting had shifted to sit in pole position!

I’m sure you’ve experienced this yourself – you heard a glowing recommendation from a friend, and now you’re using an Apple computer, or watching The West Wing, or perhaps even holidaying in Thailand this summer!

Let’s call this dynamic the ‘Thailand Effect’.

The Thailand Effect should transform our evangelistic efforts because it reminds us of what our friends don’t need.

Our friends don’t need an expert.

Our friends don’t need someone with years of experience.

Our friends don’t need someone who can answer every potential question.

When we share Jesus with our friends, none of that is required.

What our friends need is a Christian like you and like me – someone whose life is being daily transformed by Jesus, to speak from the heart about the joy of knowing Him.

This genuine, overflowing passion for Jesus is powerful and will impact our friends like no postcard for church in the letterbox ever will.

And not only are you capable of doing this kind of evangelism – I’m sure you are engaged in it already.

Your friends know that you are passionate about:

Your kids.

Homeland.

Shopping at The Iconic.

The Rabbitohs.

Ford.

The latest Nespresso machine.

Angry Birds

…or whatever it is you love and love telling others about. We are all evangelists for something.

As I examine my own ‘evangelism’ in all its forms, I am painfully aware that I am a better evangelist for created things than I am for the Creator. My recommendations too often are for good things, without reference to the Source of everything good. To my shame, I am too often a better and more eager evangelist for Apple products, than I am for the Lord Jesus.

Can you relate to this too? As I read Acts 4, my desire is to be like Peter and John, who reject the instructions to shut up about Jesus, because they “can’t help but speak of what they’ve seen and heard”.

Their knowledge of Jesus could not be contained. Like Peter and John, may our experiences with Jesus overflow in our conversations, naturally and eagerly, as our friends listen in.

This prayer from A.W. Tozer has been good for me to pray. Perhaps you would like to pray it too:

“O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Steve Kryger blogs at communicatejesus.com