Sharing JesusNäide

The right tone to use when sharing Jesus

Talking with our friends or family about faith can be challenging. Often the conversation can turn into an argument and people can quickly become upset or offended.

Many years ago, an Australian social researcher wrote that if we directly attack another person’s world view, we are more likely to reinforce their position than change their mind.

Did you get that? Basically … attacking someone’s beliefs is more likely to turn them away than to convince them to change!

So what does this mean for us? It means that tone matters, and our conversations matter. Too often we can believe that winning an argument will change a person, or will finally convince them to accept Jesus. Peter writes in today’s scripture that, when giving an answer, we need to do it with gentleness and respect, and that the key to answering well is to maintain friendship, not turn people away with harsh answers and disrespect.

Even in the face of aggression, our job is to remain as humble and loving representatives of Jesus Christ, knowing that it often isn’t our intellect that draws people to him, but our attitude.