Soft Answers: Understanding Others When Sharing Faith

For those of you that know me well, you know I hold some pretty strong opinions about a lot of things and I am generally not afraid to share them...I think I got it honest. Anyhow, with the world seemingly losing its mind and common sense being laid to the wayside, I thought I’d talk about an area I struggle with and maybe you do to. It’s understanding “the other” opinion and how we, as Christians, should be going about it. Contrary to what I generally do, shaking my head and thinking, “bless their heart”, ain’t it! But I specifically want to talk about differing opinions when sharing our faith. When some one doesn’t share our beliefs, we need to try and not attack them and then tell the good news about Jesus…it’s just bad timing. You see, hearing the Gospel can cause discomfort for someone who doesn’t agree; whether it be an uneasiness or a feeling of outright hostility. Similarly, pointing out the falsehoods in someone else’s religion, or trashing their worldview, only serves to put them on the defensive. Once someone has adopted a defensive posture, no argument will hold ground, no matter how sound or true it is. So try to understand the worldview of others when in a conversation about faith.Understanding doesn’t mean agreeing, but it does mean you care for that person regardless of their worldview, simply because you’ve taken the time to understand them.People will always defend their religions, opinions, and beliefs because they know nothing better. Jesus is awesome, and whatever else they’re holding onto will never be as rewarding as a relationship with Him; they just don’t know it yet.“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.”Proverbs 15:1-2 Be Nice, Grace wins