Skip to main content

Tough People and Tough Questions

Image
By
So far in this series about sharing our faith, I've talked about what the Gospel message is, why we are to share our faith (and part II), tools for sharing, and how to utilize questions (thanks, Randy Newman and  Sovereign Grace Church - Fairfax, VA!). Today I will share how to handle tough questions and tough people.

If you haven't done so, before continuing, check out my last blog post and watch the video of a message preached by Randy Newman. His teaching is better than anything I could share here.

I will share more some suggestions rather than step-by-step tips. When you think back to your road to salvation, you probably weren't won over by a formula, and neither was I. But I was won over by honest people (thanks, Mom and Dad) willing to engage honest questions from an honest seeker. Below are some thoughts.
  • Pray, pray, pray. And then pray. When you talk to your Heavenly Father, pray for the person, their situation, their doubts and their longings. Ask for wisdom and the words to answer, and be open for the Holy Spirit to teach you and guide your words.
  • Good scholarship is important. When sharing your faith, especially with someone you know, learn about their background, and study how to effectively engage those questions. If the questions are about the truthfulness of Scripture, study about the history and congruency of Scripture. If the questions are about other faiths, find resources that compare and contrast religions or sects.
  • Genuinely engage the person's questions. We are in a dialog, not a lecture. Engage the person. Ask them questions (again, I'd refer you to Randy Newman's message). Answer their questions. Explore and study together.
  • Share your life. Being a geniune friend is a huge witness. Spend time together - watch the big game together, go to dinner, hang out, work on each other's homes and yards together. This doesn't take the place of sharing the Gospel, but it is an opening to share your faith on a friend level.
  • Don't be afraid of the words "I don't know." We don't have to know everything. And sometimes the answer, "I don't know" can say more than what you do know. It's shows honesty. But don't leave the question unanswered; here's a chance to explore together.
Above all, truly caring about the person is what will say the most. Don't be afraid of the tough questions; foster the relatonship, and let the questions sort themselves out.

You'll Never Convince Me

Sometimes you'll encounter particularly tough people. Sometimes people are looking for a fight or argument. There are a few ways to handle.
  • Ask questions. Engage the person. Find out why they feel the way they do. Show an interest in their point of view.
  • Let them argue. I know, for some of us, this is especially difficult. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is let them argue. Let them speak. Don't provide answers, but answer with questions.
  • Let them go. Early on I talked about the path to salvation. So did Randy Newman. Sometimes our job is simply to plant a seed, remove a rock, till a little soil or water. Once you've done that, sometimes your responsibility is done.
Other ideas? Please share them in the comments. I'd love to hear them.

We're at the end of the series. If you have ideas or questions, please reach out to me or comment here. I'll do my best to help out. Or I may ask you a question.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for the gift of your salvation. I thank you for dying in my place, bearing the punishment and wrath due me for my sin. Thank you for forgiving me. Please help us as we share the same redeeming work you're working in us with others. Give us the words to speak, the actions to share, and, most of all, give us a heart to see the lost as You do - as sheep without a shepherd. Thank you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord, by George Muller

By Anonymous
To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord By George Muller “It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord, but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. “I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God—not prayer, but the Word of God. And here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God so that it only passes through my mind just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what I read, pondering over it, and applying it to my heart. To meditate on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed. And that thus,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Reflective Glory: How the Moon Displays the Mercy of God

By
Our sun is a fitting metaphor for the glory of God. In the context of our solar system, it is massive, bright, beautiful, powerful, self-sufficient, heat-producing, life-giving, and dangerous. It is, by far, the dominant feature of our solar system and without it the system would fling apart and all living things therein would die.  On the other hand, our moon is a fitting metaphor for human beings, especially for those who believe in Jesus Christ. First, compared to the sun, the moon is tiny and dim. The sun is 400 times larger than the moon, its mass is 27 million times greater than the mass of the moon, and from our perspective its light shines 450,000 times brighter than that of the moon. The sun is so much greater than the moon that it’s difficult to quantify and express the difference. Likewise, the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is so much great than each and all of us that it’s impossible to quantify or express the difference. Indeed, the Lord is very great and greatly...
Post a Comment
Read more

When Children Say "I'm Bored" By Julie Lowe

By
This Article is written by Julie Lowe and was originally posted on the CCEF blog.  I highlighted the areas of particular interest. I had already prepared a blogpost on dealing with boredom from a Christian worldview and then came across this. There is much overlap between the two, perhaps this one is more concise while my work attempts to explain the connection between the ability to think and the ability to be happy. You can visit the original blogpost in the link provided below.  https://www.ccef.org/resources/blog/children-say-im-bored   We have a common crisis in our home; it is the calamity of boredom. Our children might even consider it a catastrophe. “I’m bored” is repeated so often it would not be an overstatement to say that these words echo continuously throughout our home especially during any break from school. These are children with limited media time but still children with a Wii and Xbox system, a pool outside our door, multiple games, toy...
Post a Comment
Read more