When leading a church congregation, it’s essential to recognize that people have varying views and experiences with religion. Some may be dedicated and unshakeable in their faith, while others may be new to the religion and eager to develop their spirituality. And then there are those who feel uncertain and skeptical about their beliefs and the Bible.
If you encounter congregants who express Bible cynicism, don’t be discouraged. Instead, use this as an opportunity to learn more about their doubts and to deepen your own understanding of the Good Book. By listening to their concerns, you may find ways to help guide them back to their faith. If you’re unsure how to approach someone who’s feeling cynical, consider these strategies. They can help you address doubts, understand the root of their questioning, and encourage them to explore different paths toward spiritual growth.
Remember that everyone’s journey is unique, and by showing empathy and patience, you can help them navigate their doubts and strengthen their relationship with God.
Discuss What Led to Bible Cynicism
When talking to someone who is feeling cynical about their faith, try to discover when their faith started to waiver. An inciting event or a series of events typically led to their cynicism. By identifying the root cause of their cynicism, you can better understand how to address it. Cynicism often arises from a sense of alienation, hurt or unresolved issues. By pinpointing the reason behind a person’s cynicism, you can gain insight into how to guide them back to their faith.
Foster Community
Encouraging individuals who are struggling with Bible cynicism to engage in community events and religious study groups can be a helpful strategy. By providing a welcoming and inclusive environment, those feeling cynical can feel more comfortable and may be more open to hearing different perspectives. Since feelings of isolation and disconnection often lead to cynicism, being part of a new group can reduce those emotions and potentially foster a more positive outlook on faith.
Encourage Openness
Encouraging an open and flexible mindset towards beliefs can be a powerful tool in helping someone struggling with Bible cynicism to come back to Christianity. It’s important to communicate that it’s okay to question and be uncertain, rather than feeling like they must rigidly hold onto a set of beliefs or non-beliefs. By providing a middle ground for them to explore and question, you create a safer and more welcoming space for them to return to. This can help alleviate the feelings of intimidation and isolation that often fuel Bible cynicism.
Bring the Focus to Service
The Bible offers a message that goes beyond religious laws and lessons: serving and helping others. This concrete aspect of the Bible is hard to argue with, making it an effective way to reach people feeling cynical about the Bible. For those who struggle with the parts of the Book that require blind faith, focus instead on the parts of the Bible that discuss tangible ways to serve others. Explore stories of generosity in both the Old and New Testaments, and encourage them to take on some of that service themselves.
Another way to encourage them is to hold a service project with other congregants, allowing them to follow the Word of God and serve the community together. When you get someone feeling cynical in the Bible to see the good that service can do and experience the joy of helping others, it may open them up to other messages in the Bible that focus on generosity and giving.
Share Your Own Doubts
When talking with someone who is cynical in the Bible, it can be helpful to show vulnerability by sharing times when you have also experienced doubts or questioned your faith. It’s common for people of faith to have moments of uncertainty about their beliefs. By sharing your own story of doubt and eventual return to faith, you can create a sense of shared experience and help inspire them to see that doubt is a normal part of the journey. This can provide a sense of hope and encouragement that there is a path back to belief.
Share These Bible Verses to Combat Bible Cynicism
The Bible is an excellent resource to guide someone who is struggling with cynicism toward their faith. The Bible contains many verses and passages that can help people regain their trust in it and in God’s word. Sharing these uplifting Bible verses with someone who is cynical about the Bible can help them find their way back to their faith.
Have Faith, You Are Wonderfully Made
- Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Phillippians 4:8
- And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; it shall remove; nothing shall be impossible unto you. – Matthew 17:20
- I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. – Romans 11:1-36
- I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – Psalm 139:14
We’re Obligated, So There’s Nothing to Stop Us
- And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. – Matthew 21:21
- We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus – Romans 15:1-7
- To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. – Psalm 22:1-31
Have a Sober Mind and Cheer in Your Heart
- Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. – Phillippians 4:8
- Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. Because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. – 1 Peter 5:8-10
- A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22
- May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13
- Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:31-32
- Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity. Not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings. The laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. Hebrews 6:1-3
Encourage Excitement About the Ministry By Using DonorWerx
Encouraging enthusiasm and generosity in your congregation is essential to help combat Bible cynicism. Donorwerx is an online platform that provides various tools to help congregants give to their church, including a website, app, and text giving options. Additionally, it offers software that allows you to set up giving kiosks at your church. What sets DonorWerx apart even further, however, is our coaching program.
Our coaching program provides access to church fundraising experts who can teach you how to increase generosity and build an action plan for growth. The program can also help you address Bible cynicism among your congregants by providing tools to foster excitement about their faith. By using DonorWerx, you can inspire your congregants to feel more enthusiastic about giving to your church, and ultimately, feel more connected to their faith.
If you want to learn how DonorWerx can get your congregants more enthusiastic about the church, Schedule a Discovery Call with us today. We’ll show you just how easy it can be.
