Be Patient With Your Non-Believing Friends | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Be Patient With Your Non-Believing Friends

For they know not what they do.

29
Be Patient With Your Non-Believing Friends
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” -1 Corinthians 2:14

Sometimes we need God to remind us that every single person we encounter is simply human, and human with a fallen nature at that. From the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God by tasting from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they lost all ties and all intimacy with God. They lost discernment, they lost the Holy Spirit. They were spiritually dead.

Now we, who are their offspring, are born with that disconnection from God. From the moment we are conceived we are physically alive but spiritually dead until we experience rebirth and new life in Christ. While many of us are probably aware of this, we still tend to forget it in our daily interactions with nonbelievers.

Here are three reasons why we should be patient with our non-believing friends, especially when they are misunderstanding---or even offending---our faith.

1. They Know Not What They Do

Just as the Jews knew not what they were doing when they crucified the Lord God, for if they knew, they would not have done it, our non-believing neighbors often have no idea that they are sinning against the Living God when they deny Him or speak falsely of Him. Since they do not have the Spirit of God inside of them, they are unable to discern what is spiritual. They are unable to discern good from evil or evil from good. As a result, when they hear talk of Jesus and his message of salvation, which is good news---the greatest news---they consider it foolishness.

If you go to a University, if you’ve stayed awake in any high school class, if you pay attention to the media, you will often here non-believers whip out ye olde, “the Bible was written thousands of years ago by many different men. It is just a book,” argument. In fact, I heard it today in a classmate’s presentation and I succeeded in letting such a falsity harden my heart. I repent of that and am grateful that the Holy Spirit of God has directed me to this scripture in 1 Corinthians today at just the right time. He knows that we constantly need to be reminded that a life without Christ is a life that denies Christ. We should expect our non-believing friends to behave like this while they are still unsaved. It shouldn’t come as a shocker to us, and it surely should not provoke us to ungodly, unrighteous anger. Instead, it should prompt us to pray for them and love them---reactions made possible by the Holy Spirit alone.

2. We are Called To Model Christ’s Love Regardless

“But we have the mind of Christ.” -1 Corinthians 2:16

As we’ve gone over, slander against us, our faith, our God should make us itching to respond in love. Notwithstanding, we are not called to be mushy, dispassionate, pushover Christians. We can love others with a brotherly affection while still recognizing and calling out evil. But when we do so, it should be in righteousness. Slander against God should upset us. His name is Holy and it must be honored. Yet taking things personally takes the glory away from God and places it upon ourselves.

It is in these instances that we must trust God to give us the words to speak and love to pour out, for on our own we cannot do it. But if we allow Christ and His love to flow through us, if we give Him the floor to speak and minister to others through us, we then have the power to change a heart of stone to one of flesh.


3. God is Patient With Our Non-Believing Friends!

The Bible says that God is “patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 2:9).” In writing this, I was almost tempted to phrase the verse as, “patient toward [us],” but I was immediately prompted to leave the verse as is, as it already speaks volumes by addressing each one of us personally. It is so easy to point fingers at others who are not living right, but God doesn't ever want us to forget that, before we ourselves knew Christ, we too were living in sin. Yet, in all of His kindness, love, and mercy, God was patient. He was patient with me, He was patient with You, and He is and will continue to be patient with sinners. Why? Because He desires to have us. He does not want anyone one of us to face eternal death, though we all deserve it, so He waits. He waits for us and He loves us.

In the same way, we are to model that patience with our friends and our neighbors who don’t believe. I understand that not everyone who we want to see saved will receive salvation due to their own free-will, but still many will.

Keep on praying for them, keep on loving them, keep on being patient, and make room for the Holy Spirit to correct you and guide you along the way.

Praise God.




Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

192507
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

16220
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

458900
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

27197
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments