My friends and I have been debating a situation that recently came up in one of the men’s life. He encountered a self-proclaimed atheist. He felt that it was his Christian duty to try to convert the atheist woman. He spent a lot of time with her (probably hoping for a romantic connection) trying to change her mind about God.

My stance is that God would prefer that we spend our available time helping other less mature Christians to know God, not in trying to convince someone who doesn’t want to know God that He is a loving God. I have several Scriptural passages to support my theology in addition to asking God about it. I will provide the Scriptures here and the exact response from God when I asked Him.

“The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ ‘Yes it is, Lord,’ she said. ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment.” (Matthew 15:21-28 NIV)

“Warning Against Idolatry
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’ And, ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NIV)

My conversation with God:

Me: “God do you want me to spend my ministry time trying to convert atheists to Christianity?”

God: “No, child, I do not want you to spend your worthy ministry time trying to invite someone into my family that I myself have not invited. The Canaanite woman showed more faith than many of my own children. Because she sought me out and had great faith, I delivered healing. But I would not have done that if she had not come to me carrying great faith.”

Me: “Is there ever a time when you would want me to minister to an atheist?”

God: “If there is, I will let you know very specifically.”

Me: “What about if a family member or child said they were an atheist?”

God: “You can’t force anyone to want relationship with a sovereign God. If the person was someone dear to you, then you should talk with me about what needs to be done. But in any case, it’s best not to assume that I would want you to spend valuable time helping the wrong people. There are times in Christians’ lives where I don’t want you to interfere with a work that I’m doing. Some trials are meant to burn the fake out of believers.”

Me: “So are you saying that it is a case by case basis for who you want me to minister to?”

God: “Always, but you already know that. There are Christians that have a wrong theology that they are supposed to bend over backwards helping people just because they are in need. It doesn’t impress me. At times it is just an enabling relationship absent of the will of God.” (End of conversation.)

As I always say, “Don’t believe me … ask God yourself!” Are you investing your time wisely for the Kingdom? Do you believe that God rewards faith or do you believe that He rewards unbelief?

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

Psalm 14:1 NIV
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Psalm 53:1 NIV
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.