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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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When I was in high school I had a friend who believed in evolution. She knew that I did not believe it. I kept telling her about creation and she kept talking about evolution. I wasn’t upset or angry with her, I just kept telling her about creation and God.
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I have had several attacks on my faith and I have found that a loving response is first about motivation. Why am I responding? Is it to prove that I am right? If yes, then what I say and how I say it will be full of pride and the truth I speak will be spoken outside of the heart and purposes of Christ. If my motivation is love for an image bearer of the Most High God, my response will be more considered. I will be defending the truth for your sake. Likely, this will mean that I will describe, testify, and explain only in as much as the Holy Spirit indicates is profitable for you–not your opinion of me or even God. I will be content to speak, under attack, only as the Holy Spirit determines will be for your benefit. Surprisingly, sometimes He says to say nothing at all. I have been amazed by how loudly and clearly God can speak when I refuse to defend myself.
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They referred back to Jesus and His word. They did not fall due to the attack because their anchor was to Jesus.
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My Pastor. When God is leading a church body and growing the kingdom, the devil will viscously try to take out the loudest leader. My Pastor has become so used to it, that he is rarely upset or shaken by these attacks. He is grounded by the Word and his faith is like concrete boots holding him firmly in place. He has shown me what perseverance looks like.
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In a seminary class one time I remember a student who told others who adhered to different things concepts of marriage that she “had not been enlightened” to their understanding.
At one time I remember saying about the same issue that we are given different missions and some may be appointed to minister to different groups of people. I have since seen error in my thinking about that. I used it to excuse the acceptance of clergy who engage in different lifestyles and who promote such within the denomination. The response that I corrected was not loving – it was an easy way to avoid speaking truth in love.
