If you’re counseling or mentoring someone in a personal setting and run across a difficult conversation, what should you do? Try these four things:
#1 Listen
Don’t jump to conclusions or feel that you need to share a gem of wisdom right away. Just stop and listen. Hear them out.
#2 Don’t overreact
Remember that you want to share the right truth at the right time. Don’t overreact to their perspective.
#3 Invite them to explore the topic with you
Remember that this might be the first of many conversations for you as you help them discover the truth of a biblical worldview on the topic. Take a long view of the situation. Don’t expect to answer with a magic bullet in the moment.
Discussion Questions:
- Invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
