I come from a family of many different religious backgrounds and a wide range of opinions on the matter. We also currently live in one of the most culturally diverse areas in the United States.
This has honestly opened my eyes to a world filled with beauty while also seeing a desperate need and hunger for truth.
To give you a little bit of family history, my faith and Christian roots were formed in the Catholic church. However, when I got married, I joined my husband in the Baptist congregation.
I tell you this because while my understanding of religion and faith has shifted and changed over the years, I still believe that religion is our way of making sense of this life and our God, while faith is a God-given gift that gives us the assurance and confidence to trust in Him with every aspect of our lives (Ephesians 2:8-9).
While religious affiliations can give us a better understanding of God’s Word through biblical teachings, it is ultimately our faith that leads us to wholeheartedly believe what we believe.
Through both, we can gain applicable connections to His Word while also leaning into a community for accountability and support.
Yet, the truth of the matter is that everyone holds different beliefs that encompass all the various worldwide religions that we see today.
That said, most of us are generally pretty passionate about our faith and what we choose to believe about God. Unfortunately, this passion can stir up conflict, strife, debate, or division.
So, how do we approach this very sensitive subject with family, friends, and others, all while proclaiming truth? Better yet, how can we truly love others as we are commanded to (Mark 12:31) and do so with grace, tact, and poise?
Well, let’s see what God’s Word says about this exact issue and how we can love all people while still acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).
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1. Pray for Them
The best way we can love others is by first reaching out to our Father and seeking discernment. Knowing that God does not place people into our lives by chance, but rather as the Master Orchestrator of our relationships, there is a reason and purpose for every person that comes in and out of our lives.
Truth be told, God has a desire for all people to come to know the truth, that He is the One true God (1 Timothy 2:4). This is why our prayers are so powerful, as He hears the aches and groans of our heart for those that don’t know Him.
As we learn to love those who practice another religion, we can take our hearts before God, asking Him to lead and guide us on ways to demonstrate His love.
Then, we must seize those opportunities in which we are able to love them in a way that offers a glimpse into the nature of our faithful Father.
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people (1 Timothy 2:1).
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2. Listen with Sincerity
We have family members, neighbors, and friends who practice a multitude of religions, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and Muslims.
So, obviously, the issue of how to gracefully love them is very near and dear to my heart. Not only that, but I truly want to see them beyond this life.
I'm pretty sure you have people in your life who give your heart the same emotional tug. So, how do we communicate with love?
Maybe, like me, you find that striking up a casual conversation isn’t too intimidating, but when certain biblical topics churn up, you find yourself treading lightly.
For a long time, I believed that in order to love others, you must inform them of the truth. However, while we should always be ready to share the good news, some are just not ready to receive it (Matthew 10:14).
We must also recognize the importance of active listening. If we haven’t first listened and heard the depths of their story and the aching of their hearts, they will not entertain what we have to say in response.
As we build a relationship with non-believers, there will be moments in which God will work His way into those conversations.
However, until then, we must listen with sincerity and understand that God will stir in their hearts in His timing. In the meantime, keep praying and earn their trust by loving them with a listening and gentle ear.
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3. Love with Patience and Kindness
Friend, we serve an awesome God. A God of pure, true love (1 John 4:16).
As believers, we know that love is not defined by self, but by God. According to Paul, love is even stronger than the virtues of faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Where faith gives us the possibility to come into a relationship with God and hope is found in trusting in His promises, love is a gift from God that allows us to see past ourselves.
Unlike the tainted human love that comes with strings attached and easily bends to sinful ways, God’s love is unconditional, flawless, perfect, holy, and just. This is the love we are commanded to share with others — God’s divine love.
We see the concept of love throughout most religions, but when we show patience, kindness, and compassion, as 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 speaks of, we open a pathway for God to truly touch others, reach hearts, and impact lives.
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4. Speak with Truth and Grace
Witnessing and loving others of a different faith comes with a delicate balance of dispensing truth while covering it in a healthy dose of grace. It has to be spoken and delivered by both.
Just how do we do that?
Honestly, it goes back to building a relationship, earning trust, and having a desire to let God’s love truly shine. Truthfully, some people will need a little more Truth, while others may need a bit more grace.
As that relationship grows, we can seek God’s wisdom on how to approach such topics. However, if we need an example, we can always look to Jesus. Jesus is a prime example of how to love all people.
Jesus was all truth, but He was also all grace.
Jesus proclaimed that He was the way, truth, and life (John 14:6). He taught the ways of the Father, while also calling out and condemning hypocritical and unlawful behavior (Matthew 23). He did not shy away from sharing truth and doing so with conviction and clarity.
On the same token, Jesus had such compassion and was full of grace. He welcomed and sat with sinners (Luke 15:12), He extended a helping hand to the hungry, meek, poor, and lowly of heart, and He healed the sick. We are commanded to love with grace and care for those who are less fortunate (Matthew 25:40).
Speaking with truth and grace isn’t always easy, especially in a hostile world that will denounce and mock it.
However, as we learn to love others, we must yearn to do so like Jesus, with a healthy dose of both truth and grace, all the while willing to be ridiculed in His name’s sake (Matthew 10:22).
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5. Remember Who You Are
As we come into relationships with non-believers, agnostics, atheists, or those who practice other religions, we must understand that love is vastly different than acceptance.
We can surely love others with an open heart ready to share truth with a delivery full of compassion, grace, and kindness, but to truly love others, we mustn’t accept worldviews that go against Scripture.
This is why it is crucial to know who we are in Christ. When we stand on the bedrock of our own faith, believing that there is One true God and He is our Heavenly Creator and sustainer of life, existing in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we lean into the nature of Who our God is and who He says we are.
God says we are His children (1 John 3:2), created in His image (Genesis 1:27). He tells us in His Word that we belong to Him (John 14:18), and we are designed to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). We are so dearly loved, cherished, and hold a forever soft pot in our God’s heart.
When we remember who we are, we know Who we follow! The world is currently loud and filled with so many mixed messages about our identity, love, and acceptance.
As Christians, we need to hold the line on Biblical truth and not allow it to become blurred into what man finds acceptable (Romans 12:2).
We do this by loving others but rejecting their beliefs or worldviews. As a culture, we have morphed into this belief that having an oppositional view or disagreeing must mean we do not love.
Well, I can assure you that is simply not true. Take a look at the choices your own children make. You may not accept their choices (and they may even downright break your heart) but you still love them whole-heartedly.
Friend, if we really want to love the way God is calling us to, we must remember who we are by opposing anything that does not express His good and perfect love, all the while continuing to be a light (Matthew 5:14-16). That is a huge weight to bear, but one we must feel honored to do as a child of God.
Merciful Father, God of love, grace, compassion, and truth, I pray that You would make Your presence known in this desperately lost and hurting world. Unveil Your truth, soften hearts, and remove barriers that are causing a divide between Your people. Let Your love be a shining light so that we may all see the goodness and glory of Your love and faithfulness. Give us wisdom and discernment on how to love all people, and walk in a way that glorifies You. I ask this in You holy name. Amen.
For further reading:
4 Views of the End Times According to Different Religions
Are the World Religions That Different from Christianity?
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Originally published Tuesday, 02 January 2024.