Hopefully we all have opportunities to talk to non-Christians. But having effective conversations require more than just opening your mouth and letting the words fly. There are guidelines for what you should say. But this post is more about the questions you should ask yourself as you enter the conversation.
1. What is the skeptic looking for? You should know fairly quickly where the person is coming from. Are they a seeker who is sincerely looking for answers? Or are they a diehard skeptic who will never really hear your responses and just wants to take up your time? Be prepared to cut the conversation short if they are in the second group.
2. What are you looking for? Are you looking for a good argument? Are you trying to hone your debating skills? Are you frustrated with skeptics and do you want to vent your negative emotions? Or do you actually care about the person and are you hoping to be used by God to bring them into the Kingdom?
3. Does this person have intellectual or emotional problems with Christianity? You can get in a lot of trouble if you try emotional answers to intellectual questions or intellectual answers to emotional questions.
4. Are you praying right now? As much as we need to work on our skills and knowledge, we need the power of God. Pray that their hearts and minds would be opened. Pray that you would have the right words and a compassionate heart. Pray that God would bring other people along their path.
The next time you find yourself in an apologetic encounter, consider asking yourself these four questions.
- Prayers
- Questions
- Seekers
- Skeptics
