Have you ever been in that horrible situation where someone asks you a question about Christianity and you haven’t got a clue what to say? I’m sure most of us have experienced this at some point, so this article is about what we can do when our faith gets put in the spotlight. I’m not offering here all the answers to life’s difficult questions, but some pointers to help us approach them and to help us try to be the best witnesses we can be to our friends.
So, imagine you and your mates are sitting on the sofa at someone’s house. Maybe you’ve been playing computer games or watching a film and everyone’s got a bit bored, so you’ve started to chat. After talking about what you did last weekend, the conversation turns to deeper subjects. Your mates know you’re a Christian and they want to know what you think ...

BE PREPARED
Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start!). Before you find yourself facing difficult conversations, why not get into the habit of praying in your devotional times that God would speak through you to your friends and will give you wisdom to answer their questions? Also, try to memorise Bible quotes you know will be helpful to your friends. Then you may feel a little more confident in explaining your opinions.
And if you feel yourself begin to panic when questions are being asked, I find it so good to pray silently that God would give me peace and wisdom. It means you’ve invited God into what you’re doing and that you’re trusting the Holy Spirit to help you.

THE QUESTIONS!
Let’s say you’ve done all that; now the tricky bit ... the questions! I know some people experience amazing moments when God simply gives them the words to say. That’s so exciting, and if that happens to you, encourage us all and post your stories on the YP’s forum at www.ypsonline.org.uk. However, God doesn’t always give us the exact words to say. We aren’t simply life-size puppets with God pulling our strings. So, here are some ways of answering you might want to consider:

If you haven’t got a clue: Don’t be ashamed to admit when you don’t know something. God is soooo much bigger than we can possibly imagine, so sometimes we just won’t know an answer. In these cases, it’s better to admit we don’t know than try to blag an answer that may be misleading. You could offer to look into the subject further with your mate, or say you’ll ask a youth leader or someone else who may know more.

If your mate is asking a question that’s personal to them, think about why they’re asking it. One of my friends lost her granddad who wasn’t a Christian, and I remember her asking me if I thought he was in hell. Hard question! At that time, my friend was obviously looking for comfort, and I wanted to give it, but I didn’t want to compromise my beliefs. In these situations it is sometimes a good thing to reply with a question, such as ‘What do you think?’ If you can ask questions it becomes more of a two-way debate or conversation in which you can both share your beliefs. It also lifts the pressure off of you and it feels less like you’re being interrogated!

Use personal examples: It could really help your friends if you’re able to talk from personal experience. And it’s hard to dispute something if it’s happened to someone you know. It can be very powerful to share with your mates if God has spoken to you through something that’s happened in your life, because they know you and know you’re not crazy (well, maybe they think you’re crazy, but I’m sure in a loving way!).

Ultimately, emphasise the truths you know:
For example: God is love; God is just; God sent His Son to die for us so that if we believe we can have eternal life. These are things of which we can be sure.

I really hope you’ve found this helpful, and if you have any hard questions of your own, why not post them on the forum and we can all try to help each other out. Some of us at YP’s may just chip in too!