Ever try to share about Jesus and the love he has shown you, only to have the other person just laugh it off? Of keep coming back with arguments against? We try not to be hurt when this happens, yet it isn’t easy to just shrug it off. Many times, it has to do with them just not understanding, because they have little to no interest. Other times it could be because they are afraid that you know the truth and they don’t want to accept that they have to surrender their life. Just like a person who refuses directions and walks around aimlessly, until he or she is willing to accept they need help it is hard to steer them in any other direction.
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV
One day I shared a picture of a child writing a quick letter that read “Dear atheist, if you don’t believe in God why does it offend you that I pray to Him” or something very similar. I knew that it may bring a comment of two because on my friends list are, now don’t be shocked, those who don’t know Jesus.
I didn’t do it to start a debate, nor did I do I to feed off the need for controversy. When I saw the first response, it took me a long time to come up with a reply that I felt was fair and honest.
But it in case shows the truth to the above verse, those who are stuck in the mind set of ‘believe whatever you want, just don’t force it down my throat’ are really just being that way because they don’t have the Holy Spirit in their lives. No matter what response I come with, no matter how true it is, if the Holy Spirit isn’t in the other person he will only see it as more religious jargon. How do you reach a world where anything is acceptable except Christ?
We need to ask the Holy Spirit to work in these people’s hearts. If we want to see lives changed and people coming to Jesus, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to soften hearts, to remove the hurt that religion has done in their lives. Until we purposely focus our prayers on their salvation our work will always seem fruitless. Just another debate.
So, when someone says something on a post you put up on FB, your blog, tweet or post something you disagree with, I suggest one thing. Before you respond take some time to pray fully ask the Holy Spirit to work on the person(s) you are responding to. Ask Him to show you the right words or scripture that will not be foolishness to the person who you are writing the repose for. Trust that the Holy Spirit will use you to reach the lost.
Dear Jesus, help me to take the time to consult the Holy Spirit before responding to any “debate” or controversial religion comments. Help me to pray for the person I am responding to asking the Holy Spirit for the right words or verse to reach them. Give me wise words. I pray that I can reach others as that is the mission to spread hope. Amen
50 Days of Pray 