Dear Abigail,
One of my coworkers believes that Christians hate non-believers and that is why she won’t have anything to do with the church. What can I say or do to convince her otherwise?
-Grieved Colleague
Dear Grieved,
This belief is just one of the lies the enemy uses to keep people away from God‘s love.
Start by speaking truth into that lie: does she know you are a Christian? Has she seen you show any hatred toward non-believers? If the answers to those questions are not yes and no, respectively, then you have your place to start.
A question I’d ask is, “What makes you say that?” If she has a story of hurt, listen to it. If she is willing, tell her about how Jesus treated unbelievers. (The woman at the well in John chapter 4, the man with a legion of demons in Mark 5, or the dinner with tax collectors and sinners in Luke 5:27-32 are good examples.)
Over and over, we see that Jesus had compassion, reached out to help, and encouraged unbelievers to turn to God.
You have the anointed opportunity to be the Christian in her life that loves her in the way Jesus loved you: an abundant love that is running over the brim—totally undeserved favor! Above all, don’t forget to pray for her.
“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another…. My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:11, 18