The Three
Barriers to Belief
September 23, 2002
Here's the situation: You want to talk to someone
about the Lord, but you're not sure how you should approach
them. For years I pretty much just shared the message with
people in the same way--of course I adapted the illustrations to
fit their background--and felt that fulfilled my responsibility.
And then I discovered there are three fundamental barriers
people have to spiritual truth. Understanding which barrier a
person has enabled me to adapt what I say to what they need the
most. I'd venture to say that without an understanding of these
barriers a man could share the message and actually push someone
away from the Lord.
With that reality in mind--here are the three
barriers and how you can overcome them:
Barrier One: The emotional barrier. This barrier
is erected by a person who has been wounded by a Christian or
other religious person in the past. Someone with this barrier
tends to be argumentative. They are more interested in proving
you wrong than learning truth. How do you identify it? If you're
talking to someone and they're exceptionally argumentative and
defensive about spiritual truth they may have been wounded in
the past. I'll often say, "You seem to have strong feelings
about this. What's you're spiritual background? Have you had a
bad experience with a Christian in the past?" If I'm right, and
they have an emotional barrier, they'll describe something that
happened which deeply hurt them.
Barrier Two: Intellectual. This person is a
serious seeker and wants more information so they can make an
intelligent decision about Jesus Christ. While they may ask
tough questions, they're non defensive and sincere in their
approach.
Barrier Three: Lifestyle. This is a person who is
living in a way that they know would have to change for them to
get serious about God--or at lest they feel that way.
Okay, so those are the barriers. Here's how you
deal with them.
People with an emotional barrier must be loved
into the kingdom of God. If you dump information on them, it
will just reinforce their negative feelings. Demonstrate a
genuine concern for them and when the time is right share with
them the hope you have in Christ. But remember--it may take
years of love before they are ready to trust a believer.
If someone has an intellectual barrier answer
their questions as well as you can. Suggest they read a good
book like Lee Strobel's book, The Case for Christ, C.S. Lewis'
book, Mere Christianity, or Francis Schaffer's book, The God Who
is There. Read the book yourself and then discuss it with them.
Don't feel like you have to know all of the answers. The answers
are there and you may both learn if you search for them
together.
The individual with a lifestyle barrier isn't
ready for the truth. But--share it with them anyway and then
pray for them. They probably won't show much interest until they
reach a point of despair. But if you're there as a friend, when
their need is great enough, you may have the privilege of
leading them to Christ.
Remember, people don't care how much you know
until they know how much you care.
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