How to Talk To Unbelievers About Controversial Issues

In the United States today, Christianity is going down the drain. 

We are called to speak the truth, yet Christians are being attacked for our stances on every issue from homosexuality to modesty to abortion. People are less and less accepting of believers. 

How do you speak the truth to someone who wants nothing to do with the truth? 

Witness Priorities 

If you try to defend your views to an unbeliever, what reason do they have to listen to you? How do you use the argument "the Bible says it's wrong" when they don't believe the Bible? 

As Christians, our priorities are in the wrong place. We are focusing on the wrong thing. While it's important to proclaim the truth about all aspects of Christianity, you're wasting your time if you try to convince unbelievers that something is wrong using the Bible. 

So, how can you go about talking to an unbeliever about something controversial like this? If you have a friend or family member that's involved in homosexuality or something else, how do you approach them about it?

Pray for Them
Pray for them. This is absolutely the most important thing. Only God can change a heart; you can play a part in that, but God is ultimately the one who will need to work in them.

So pray for them. Pray for them everyday. Pray for them hard. Never underestimate the power of prayer.

Show Love 
The first thing you need to do is show them that you care about them. Be loving and kind. Build a relationship with the unbelievers around you so that they will be able to listen to the hard things you have to say. 

If you don't have a relationship with the person first, they won't accept that you are trying to help them with what you are saying. 

• Take your time. This shouldn't be a rushed process.
• Get to know them. Focus on learning more about them in conversations so you understand where they're coming from and how you can best approach them with the gospel. 
• Invest time and energy in them. Go places and do things with them. Remember their birthday. Text or email them occasionally when you haven't seen them in a while. Show them you care about them and their well-being. 

Set a Good Example 
This can happen at the same time as the first step. Set a good example to them. Don't conceal your faith from them; openly model what the Christian life looks like. If they see that it is something you actually believe and live out, they will be more likely to listen to what you say. 

Preach the Gospel First 
The first thing you need to focus on when talking to an unbeliever is the gospel. Don't jump straight into the controversial stuff. If they don't believe the gospel, they have no reason to believe anything else you talk about. The way to approach them first is with the gospel message. 

Once they believe the Bible is true, it will become ten times easier to approach them about the controversial issues of our day and age. If you put in the time and effort to find verses that apply to whatever issue you need to talk to them about, someone who truly believes the Bible will not be unresponsive to that.

So stop with the hate-messages and the angry defensiveness. Show love and preach the gospel before confronting someone about sin in their life.

This world needs truth. It needs love. Most of all, it needs Christ. Stop hating, start loving, and preach the gospel with boldness.

Have you ever had to talk to an unbeliever about your counter-cultural opinions? How can you use these steps the next time you're in that situation? Tell me in the comments!