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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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People expect me to be judgmental of people who sin, but that is not our calling. We are to love the sinner but hate their sin. We do that in a loving manner but letting them know that we all sin and fall short. Seeking God’s forgiveness and accepting us make it better.
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I think the world expects us to respond in anger, so when you stay calm and listen, and then calmly explain in a Christ like demeanor the truth, there is a greater chance someone may listen and you may be able to plant a seed.
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First, people should be treated with dignity and respect as human beings, even if we strongly disagree. We should not be baited into a response on social media; the best conversations take place in the context of building relationships. Rather than an outright dismissal of another person’s thinking, it’s important to probe with questions about why they think the way they do so we understand their position and can respond appropriately.
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In a political discussion, a church friend told me that instead of shutting down the conversation when she disagrees, she would ask a clarifying or probing question. “What about that candidate makes you want to support them?” That opens the discussion in a caring, open manner without attacking the other person for their beliefs.
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One way is to share a personal testimony of how God has addressed this in His word to our own lives and how we have changed. For example, someone recently asked if someone is born gay, how can they change? I shared a testimony of a male family member who grew up with that lifestyle, came to Christ, and began to be attracted to ONE woman. Even he was shocked, but God was changing him from the inside out. He has now been happily married to a woman for nearly 15 years. You can always love someone and pray for those who oppose you, but they can not really argue with a testimony of a transformed life.