This was several years ago. I had decided to spend 2 hours walking in our small town and ask God for opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations that would lead to the gospel.
My time was almost up when I returned to our small church to use the bathroom. I only had 15 minutes left of the allotted time, but I thought to myself: I will walk outside once more! Perhaps I will meet someone.
Right there in the church parking lot, I saw two young men. After engaging with them, I quickly discovered that the one outspoken was utterly lost. He was dabbling in drugs and very confused. Let us call him Sam. When I asked him to describe God, he said in essence: God can be anything you want him to be. Take your pick.
I answered along these lines: Your friend is standing right here, and his t-shirt is green. If I claimed it was red, it would be false because we can all see it is green. If a t-shirt is of a single color, it can not be both green and red at the same time. Now, if God does exist, his t-shirt (so to speak) is of a specific color. That is, God has certain qualities. Can you describe him?
I actually did not think this would work, but to my surprise, it did. Sam started to describe that God was good, and because of that, he would work towards removing evil from this world. His eyes began to spark as he passionately expanded on a few evils in this world and how God would remove them and restore goodness.
I tried several times to have a follow-up conversation with Sam. But he never gave me the opportunity after that moment in the parking lot came to an end. I will never forget that conversation with him. It taught me from a fresh perspective what Paul writes:
They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness.
Rom 2:15a
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Rom 8:22
And that is what God is in the business of doing. His grand plan is to unite all things under Christ (see Eph 1:7-10). Once Christ returns, there will be no more evil.
In evangelism, listening is vital. If we can hear some of the underlying heart cries of the person we are engaging with, we can help them realize that God is actually where their heart will find rest.
P.S. The God Test has taught me much. It is a fantastic way to learn how listening is foundational for evangelism. Reach out if you need help in learning how to use The God Test. As a bonus, learning how to use The God Test is an excellent basic training in apologetics.