Motivated by another interesting discussion from church, I write today’s post about what to do when you confront or are confronted by non-believers.
Of course, religion can be a touchy subject, so it’s important to avoid lecturing or forcing your beliefs on anyone. God is the reason for someone converting, and our responsibility is to be the messengers. Three things to focus on when having a conversation on faith are to pray, ask, and listen.
Pray
Pray for God to provide you with the knowledge and answers that you will need to explain your faith and what it means to be a Christian. Pray for the other person to have an open mind and open heart. Prayer will be the most important factor in this process.
Ask
Ask for permission to talk with the person about their beliefs. Never assume that you can have that conversation without the other person agreeing first. It is important not to turn the conversation into a battle of beliefs. Instead, find out why they believe what they believe and go from there.
Listen
Listen to what they have to say and know how to respond. Show them that you are not looking for a one-sided conversation and that you understand their hesitations. In doing this, you will have a better understanding and they will be more willing to listen to you when that time comes.
Not every conversation like this will be a success story, but being a source of information or a shoulder to lean on for that person can mean a lot more in the long-run than you might realize.
Do you have any experiences of trying to talk to someone about your faith?