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Share one or two ways you or someone you know has lovingly responded to an attack on your/their Christian faith.
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It is important to not immediately jump to defensiveness and anger, but to be slow to speak, slow to anger, and quick to listen. When we listen actively and thoughtfully engage in dialogue where we can share truth, we can leave the door open for people to experience the Holy Spirit rather than just hear our counter attacks or anger or fear.
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Use of Scripture, following Jesus’ example, to combat attach on Christian faith is important. It can help defuse a situation when the truth being shared is not personal opinion. Additionally, I have found that it is important not to make excuses or try to defend God. He doesn’t need me to do that. I am simply called to speak the truth in love, and trust the Holy Spirit to convince, and convict, the heart of sin.
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We have been attacked many times for our belief in a literal 6 day creation. We walked them through the book of Genesis and the true meaning of day in those scriptures and how that word is used in other areas of the Bible to mean a literal day. We did not argue we just lovingly talked through Scripture and allowed the scripture speak for itself.
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I had a friend that was attacked by someone in her workplace for believing in God. They minimized her faith, and mocked her believing in something other than science. Her response was to tell them that just because they had a differing opinion than her, she would continue to go forward in her beliefs. She made an extra effort to show God’s love to that person in the workplace.
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My friend Debbie. She volunteered at church. I hadn’t seen her cause of Covid. Then I saw her at church volunteering. Then two months went by,,, I didn’t see her or her husband. I saw her at Costco Warehouse. We hugged each other. I said where have you been. She said someone told her that she was too old to volunteer. I said what. I am 60 years old. LOl! Older than you. I told her. Girl, you only heard that from one person. It is not true. One person is not the church, it is one person’s opinion. She agreed. But Debbie said that they are established at this new church. Misunderstandings happen all the time in church. Good listening can detour bad situations back to common sense. May not of swaded Debbie back to our church, but we are still sisters in Christ.
I remember when I got baptized for a second time at Mim’s Baptist church. I walked into the boiling hot water. I watched as the pastor slowly started walking in the water as he said you want to get out Susan so we can cool this down. I said no I am in here now. So Pastor Jean continued to baptize me. Then I said to him now my sins are gone, and he laughed. We got out and he had them cool it down before anyone else was baptized that day. LOL! What a memory.