Mitch’s story invites us to rethink how we engage loved ones who don’t share our faith—showing that true discipleship begins not with judgment or argument, but with humility, understanding, and love rooted in the Word of God.
Engaging with Love and Truth
For many followers of Jesus, one of the hardest tensions to navigate is how to engage loved ones who don’t share our faith. Mitch captured this challenge honestly when he described feeling helpless and even hurt by situations with those closest to him—a childhood friend who came out as gay, and his mother who still carries wounds from the church. His experience resonates deeply because it reflects a reality most of us face: how do we love people well when they reject what we believe?
The Apostle Paul offers a model in Acts 17:22–31, when he entered Athens—a city steeped in debate, philosophy, and competing worldviews. Paul didn’t start with condemnation. He began by observing, listening, and affirming what truth he could see before gently pointing toward the fullness of truth in Christ. That’s our call too: to begin with understanding, not accusation; to lead with compassion, not defensiveness.
In today’s world, conversations around faith are often tangled with “flashpoint” issues—topics like homosexuality, fertility clinics, church hurt, or political division. These issues can make it difficult for people to feel welcomed or accepted in Christian spaces. Mitch’s story pushes us to approach these topics differently—not as battles to win, but as opportunities to listen and discern with wisdom.
As 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” The Bible is our compass, but we must be careful not to use it as a weapon. Instead, we can engage complex issues through prayer, reflection, and dialogue—seeking first to understand perspectives, then to align our response with the heart of God revealed in Scripture. Rather than searching Scripture to defend our positions, we start with Scripture to shape our posture.
Mitch also challenged us to examine what he calls being “well-intentioned but lacking grace.” It’s easy to think of discipleship as simply “teaching truth,” but when truth is divorced from grace, it loses its power to transform. For Mitch, this means holding himself accountable to not judge or condemn, even when discussing difficult topics. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:3–5, before pointing out the speck in someone else’s eye, we must first deal with the plank in our own.
Discipleship that transforms begins with humility. It starts by asking God to search our hearts, to remove pride and self-righteousness, and to replace them with empathy and patience. The goal isn’t to win arguments—it’s to win hearts.
Mitch’s story reminds us that every conversation, especially the hard ones, is an opportunity to reveal the love and character of Jesus. When we listen well, love deeply, and let the Holy Spirit lead, we become not “lacking grace,” but faithful witnesses to a grace that meets people right where they are—and never leaves them there.