"Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant
arguments that only start fights." II Timothy 2:23
Have you ever been with a Muslim and found yourself in
a conversation which suddenly turned
hostile and argumentative? Most Christian women do not like to argue;
especially about faith issues. If we enter into arguments with Muslims we will
experience a lot of stress! Amal’s(pseudonym)story is a composite of what I
have experienced with some of my Muslim friends.
There have been moments when Amal has appeared
spiritually hungry and desired to hear about Jesus Christ. Significant
spiritual ground has been gained. Then serious rebellion and other crisis
situations erupted in her family. She felt helpless and afraid. What should she
do to get things under control? The mosque came to her aid immediately by
teaching her about rules and how to become a better Muslim. She began to listen
constantly to fiery sermons given on the internet by preachers who spoke her language.
Their droning words filled her home. Numerous times I visited her with the
sermons blaring from her bedroom into the living room. It made our conversations
extremely difficult. On one particular day our conversation moved into religious
issues. She spoke forcefully and would hardly allow me to respond to any point.
It became obvious there were conflicting spirits at work. Her mind had been
taken captive by the fiery sermons which were definitely to prove Christianity
was wrong. When her tone turned belligerent I became vexed, spoke loudly, and
butted my way in, not allowing her to keep talking. It became a contest. From
past experiences I knew that very soon a full scale argument could erupt and a
friendship would dissolve which had taken long hard work to achieve. I could hardly think straight but breathed an
emergency “Lord, help me” silent prayer. I sensed the Lord say, “Stand your
ground, but don’t argue.”
It is possible to stand our ground but not argue. I
prayed that God would help me to stay composed and He did help me. There are no magic bullets in these kinds of situations. It is not always advantageous, in
the heat of the moment, to explain all the answers to their big objections or
misconceptions. What is important is to understand what is not being addressed.
In Amal’s case it was how to atone for her unknown sin so that everything would
go favorably for her family. She was actually filled with huge fears. I
addressed her fears and God’s love which was expressed and demonstrated by
Jesus on the cross. None of my words solved the argumentative words flying around
but I spoke into the weak spot in her soul which amazingly quieted her down. I
didn't think she would allow me to pray for her but when I asked if I could she
said okay. I asked her what she would like me to pray for and she said,
“Peace.” After all was said and done she
shared, “I will never forget the ……” The memory of spiritual encounters which
were buried surfaced to the forefront once again. If I had continued to press my point to win
the argument not much would have been gained.
Dear heavenly Father, teach me how to respond when
arguments arise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
