I have a wide and varied group of friends from
different cultures, backgrounds and religions. I have friends who are agnostic
and atheist. We all, for the most part, get along, which doesn’t mean we don’t
fight, bicker and disagree like any other group of friends.
On occasion, members of my congregation have
approached me and expressed concern about my friends. One lovely old lady was
convinced exposure to atheism would lure me away from God, while one of our
more fervent evangelists insists I should make every effort to bring my friends
into the Light of God.
Advocating
for God
I’m in no more danger of becoming an atheist
than my office chair is of transforming in to the type of heavy duty equipment
sold by Warren
Parts. The second concern — that I wasn’t actively
trying to bring my friends to Jesus — hit a nerve however.
I want my non-Christian friends to come to God,
I truly do. At the same time, I know them too well to start preaching to them.
My Hindu friend and her family don’t try to convert me to their faith, and in
turn, I feel I should respect their religious choices.
While I’ve had both intellectual debates and impassioned
arguments with my atheist friends, we both respect each other’s beliefs (or in
her case, non-belief). I know, in my heart, proselytizing to her would strain,
or even destroy our friendship, and I can’t see how ruining a fifteen-year
friendship will bring her closer to God.
Leading
by Example
Instead, I think of myself as one of the Lord’s
subtler foot soldiers (or as one friend jokingly called me, a ninja Christian).
Some Christians are comfortable leading the front lines of evangelism and
missionary work. They’re the ones who debate atheists on national television,
who are willing to take a forceful stand. I admire them, but I know that’s not
how I operate.
Instead, I try to proselytize by example. I try
to be the best possible Christian I can be, and to show God’s grace with my
actions rather than my words. Which is perhaps just as well — I may have some
small talent when I’m wiring, but put me in a public speaking situation and I
fall apart. We all have our gifts, and that particular talent just wasn’t give
to me.
So I do my charity work. I sing hymns in the
shower. I invite my friends to church-led events and charity drives. I compare
religions with my non-Christian friends and try to find common ground, which is
usually there if you look for it.
One agnostic friend
once told me all religions basically boiled down to a single message: be nice
to people. His opinion was rather simplistic, but at the same time I’ve found
that message does, indeed, permeate most religions. Be nice to each other. Love
each other. Care for each other.
Michelle is a blogger and freelancer. She’s written about almost every topic under the sun, and loves constantly learning about new subjects and industries while she’s writing. In her spare time she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dogs. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.
Great post! I agree on so many levels. The Bible said the Lord would give us the words to say when we were approached about our faith. Yet we don't want to "hide it under a bushel, No!" :) Our lives are that light in this world that Jesus said we would be. They are watching you every day, Jesus IN you! And what shines out of you may someday be what opens into the darkness in their world and brings them to Christ. Blessings! Thanks for stopping by my blog today so I would have the privilege of meeting you! ♥
ReplyDeleteNanette, thanks so much for stopping by. I'm really glad you liked this post. It was actually by my guest blogger, Michelle Rebecca. There's a link above where you can check her out on Twitter or Google+. I hope you'll drop by again and check out some of my other posts!
ReplyDeleteHa, sorry about that Kirra! I will be back and look around :) Can you tell I am 50? LOL. Your blog is lovely I am sure I will enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteNo worries! Sometimes it's not obvious. And thank you for the follow!
ReplyDeleteI think this is the right way to handle interaction with friends of other faiths. Being an example is probably the best way to lead someone to God.
ReplyDeletehttp://dayslifedreams.wordpress.com/
Mercy, it's a much less aggressive way to go about it, and it puts you in a great position to gain credibility and then answer questions.
ReplyDelete