Christians can often be referred to as Bible bashers. That is because over the years Christians have been over-zealous to lead people to God, sharing their faith in a forceful way in the flesh. But what does the Bible say about this. Let’s look in 1 Peter 3.
1 Peter 3:15
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
We should be ready to give an answer for our faith to whoever comes along, telling people of the hopeful future we have. However, what is clear in this scripture is we do it in a gentle and respectful way.
We are not to be Bible bashers hitting people over the head with the great book we have. We need to end that reputation and let our actions speak louder. One example being is this. As a Christian you could work in an office job, people notice something about you, such as why you do not swear or engage in the office gossip. The actions of Christians are noted by non-believers that lead to questions about the person who is a Christian. They will ask why don’t you swear? To which we say we follow the scriptures in the Bible and how the word helps us behave in a manner which is decent and sensible.
When questions arise that is the opportunity to share your faith in a gentle and respectful way. This is how we are called to share our faith, through our good behaviour and other people noticing that behaviour. They simply recognise that Jesus is living within us and they will likely want to have what we have, or at least find out more about our faith. After all God has put eternity in all human hearts, this creates natural curiosity. This is confirmed in the book of Ecclesiastes below.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
So don’t be a Bible basher, wait for those opportunities and be ready to share your faith in a gentle and respectful way.