Rule #8: Know Your Limits

It's critical to remember that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

Human wisdom doesn't change hearts, only God's power. This is why Paul said, "And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit."

Keeping this in mind allows us to approach each conversation with the proper perspective. We are liberated from carrying the weight of their "conversion." God requires obedience from us; He does the rest.

This doesn't mean that we should be indifferent to our approach.

Jesus intimately understood his audience, and this made him a brilliant communicator. He spoke using deep and surprising parables. He could have presented the truth in a simple, "take it or leave it" way, but he didn't. He modeled the tension that we all need to walk in: our approach matters, but only God changes hearts.

Another aspect of trusting God is knowing when to stop. All meaningful change comes from authentic relationships, and this takes time to develop. This means there are limits to what can be accomplished in any given conversation.

Our goal should be to establish genuine, long-term relationships with people who don't share our faith. It is in this context that most meaningful change takes place. By all means, share what you believe often, but recognize that the goal is not that you share the Gospel but that the person you are talking to gives their lives to Jesus. Having this long-term view gives you the patience to do your part and trust God with the rest.

It is amazing what God can do when we trust Him.

My team had spent the day doing street interviews. Two guys walked by, and we asked them if they'd be willing to talk. One was willing; the other wasn't. The interview went well. Before we left that day, we decided we would try to get one more interview. A few minutes later, the same two guys came back, and this time both were eager to talk. The guy who didn't want to talk before explained how he grew up in a religious home but had since rejected all of it. But since then, he started to question the chaos and emptiness of atheism. He told us excitedly, "I just started to read the Bible, and it's f-ing awesome!"

I was kind of shocked and excited at the same time. We offered to pray for him, and he said, "Yeah, totally, I have no idea how to do that; could you teach me?" We shared that it's just like talking to a friend, and together we invited Jesus to forgive us and set us free."

For all of the tactics and strategies, it's moments like this that remind me that God is active in the world, working to draw everyone to Himself. The harvest IS truly plentiful. When we are motivated by a genuine love for those that don't know Jesus and push through fear, supernatural power is unleashed, and lives are changed!

Thank you for joining us for our series, "8 Rules for Discussing ‘Hot Topics' like Jesus Did." These rules aren't just meant to be head knowledge. Find someone you disagree with, incorporate these rules, and watch how God works through you as you discuss hot topics.