Avoiding Stereotypes

Frequently I encounter atheists who want to stereotype all Christians as illiterate hypocrites, blindly reciting Bible verses.

This is unfair and untrue. 

But it's just as unfair to characterize all atheists as ungodly, uncaring and mean. 

I recently saw a Christian movie that meant well but presented this picture of atheists. It wasn't realistic. 

All atheists are lost and they badly need the Lord, but not all atheists are bad people.

When we share Christ, let's seek to know and understand people. Let's listen and ask questions seeing them as individuals. And let's share Christ naturally and authentically.

We should be well-prepared to answer questions about our faith (1 Peter 3:15). But we should avoid reciting memorized lines or using evangelistic formulas. Instead, let's look at people as individuals and do things according to our style of evangelism. (See What's Your Evangelism Style).

This doesn't mean we avoid telling the whole truth. People need to understand that unbelief leads to Hell (Acts 20:27). But conversations about God usually begin by sharing what Christ has done in our lives. 

The best "formula" for sharing Christ with our friends and loved ones is to be sensitive to God's Spirit, taking advantage of opportunities  God gives us.

With Jesus' help we can quit seeing and quit being stereotypes.