Question:
I have a friend who doesn't believe in Christ or any of that...she never did. She is "too smart" and has thought up a theory of what happened.
I worry about her. Her life is hectic, the recent flood wrecked her dads house and she can't visit him, and I just want to help her. I have a strange longing to help her but I don't know how. I'm afraid to ask her to go to church and I just don't know what to do. PLEASE HELP!
My Reply:
Wait, she doesn't believe that Jesus the person existed, or that God exists and that Jesus is the Son of God? The reason I ask is because she may be surprised to hear that even secular writers of the day had written about Jesus and His teachings. And even though the Jews don't accept Him as the promised Messiah, they do at least confirm His existence.
It's tough for a non-believer to accept God's existence (or even His concern for His creation) when things are going bad, and it's easy to ask where He is in all that's happening to them.
If you want to help her with everything going on, then be the friend that she needs, and your relationship with Jesus will shine through in your words and concern for her. Then maybe one day she'll be open to asking you about this Jesus you pray to, and to hearing your answer. But if she's not ready, then she'll continue to reject Him and push away anything you have to say about Him.
Pray daily for her, too. As Christians with non-saved friends and family, we often tend to forget that the Holy Spirit is also involved in reaching them. So pray for her and ask for opportunities to work along side the Holy Spirit in introducing her to Christ.
As for inviting her to church, I say ask her, for what have you got to lose? Or better yet, ask her to an event held by the church. For example there was a time when I didn't attend church, and my girlfriend at the time brought be to her church's annual picnic. When I'd learned that this energetic guy doing flips and with whom I was playing soccer was the Pastor, I remember saying, "I've GOT to hear this guy preach!" I later became a regular attendee and even involved with the denomination. So try inviting her to one of the events at the church. Then keep inviting her to such, allowing her to get to know others in the church. You may find that she's asking about the participation of some of the people next time you invite her. It's not so much of a "frontal attack", so she may put her guard down and allow the Lord to work on her. Then, when she begins asking questions, be ready to share your experiences/testimony (as Peter says to do in 2 Peter).
If you want to help her with everything going on, then be the friend that she needs, and your relationship with Jesus will shine through in your words and concern for her. Then maybe one day she'll be open to asking you about this Jesus you pray to, and to hearing your answer. But if she's not ready, then she'll continue to reject Him and push away anything you have to say about Him.
Pray daily for her, too. As Christians with non-saved friends and family, we often tend to forget that the Holy Spirit is also involved in reaching them. So pray for her and ask for opportunities to work along side the Holy Spirit in introducing her to Christ.
As for inviting her to church, I say ask her, for what have you got to lose? Or better yet, ask her to an event held by the church. For example there was a time when I didn't attend church, and my girlfriend at the time brought be to her church's annual picnic. When I'd learned that this energetic guy doing flips and with whom I was playing soccer was the Pastor, I remember saying, "I've GOT to hear this guy preach!" I later became a regular attendee and even involved with the denomination. So try inviting her to one of the events at the church. Then keep inviting her to such, allowing her to get to know others in the church. You may find that she's asking about the participation of some of the people next time you invite her. It's not so much of a "frontal attack", so she may put her guard down and allow the Lord to work on her. Then, when she begins asking questions, be ready to share your experiences/testimony (as Peter says to do in 2 Peter).
---Pastor Andy
