When your friends don't believe

What happens when the people you love most don't believe in Jesus?

In this heartfelt episode of The Prodigal Daughter Podcast, Nicole Viljoen explores one of the most difficult realities many Christians face—loving friends, family members, spouses, children, and colleagues who do not share their faith.

How do we remain faithful without becoming judgmental? How do we share the Gospel without pushing people away? What if they mock our beliefs? And what if they never seem to accept Christ?

Through powerful NKJV Scriptures, biblical examples, and practical encouragement, this episode examines how Jesus interacted with unbelievers, the importance of prayer, the power of personal testimony, healthy boundaries, and trusting God with the people we cannot change ourselves.

Whether you are praying for a loved one, navigating difficult conversations about faith, or carrying the burden of someone's salvation, this episode will remind you that your role is faithfulness, while God is responsible for the harvest.

📖 Key Scriptures:
• James 4:6
• John 1:11
• Luke 19:10
• John 6:44
• Matthew 5:16
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• Romans 15:13
• 1 Corinthians 15:33
• 1 Peter 3:15

✨ Remember: You may plant the seed. You may water it. But God is always the One who brings the increase.

#TheProdigalDaughterPodcast #ChristianPodcast #Faith #Evangelism #JesusChrist #BibleStudy #ChristianLiving #Prayer #Hope #Salvation

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

It's the Prodigal Daughter Podcast, Guiding Hearts Back Home with Nicole Fulyune. Welcome back to the Prodigal Daughter Podcast. I'm Nicole Fulyun, and wherever you're listening from today, thank you for joining me. Today we're talking about a question that many Christians quietly wrestle with. What if my friends don't believe? What if my family doesn't believe? What happens when you love Jesus but the people closest to you don't? What happens when your best friend thinks Christianity is foolish? What happens when your family mocks your faith? What happens when your circle believes differently, lives differently, and sees the world differently? Can you still be friends? Should you keep witnessing? What if they never believe? And perhaps the hardest question of all, what if people you love most reject the savior you love most? These questions carry real emotion because faith isn't simply a theological discussion. It's personal. When we love Jesus, we naturally want the people we care about to know him too. We want them to experience his peace, his forgiveness, his salvation, and his love. And it hurts when they don't. Today we're going to look at what scripture teaches about unbelieving friends and how Jesus interacted with unbelievers and how we should respond and why we must never lose hope. In our first segment, we're focusing on you're not the only one. Let's face it, many believers feel alone in the struggle. You may be listening today thinking, my husband doesn't believe, my wife doesn't believe, my best friend thinks Christianity is nonsense. My children have walked away from God. My co-workers laugh when I talk about Jesus. If that's you, know this. You're not alone. Even Jesus experienced rejection. Let's take a look at what Scripture says. Turn with me to the New Testament, John 1, verse 11. Translation-wise, I always use the New King James Version translations. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Think about that. The Creator stepped into his creation. The Messiah came to his own people and many rejected him. If Jesus himself experienced rejection, we should not be surprised when people reject the message we carry. The goal is not to make rejection and to take it personally. People are not rejecting you. Many times they're rejecting what they just don't understand yet. One of the greatest mistakes Christians make is the withdrawing from unbelievers completely. We sometimes create Christian bubbles, Christian friends, Christian music, Christian books, and Christian events. And before long, we have very little interaction with those who actually need Jesus. But Jesus did the opposite. In Luke 19, verse 10, it says, For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Notice where Jesus spent his time. Tax collectors, sinners, outcasts, and broken people. The religious leaders hated it. Luke 15 verse 2 says, This man receives sinners and eats with them. What a beautiful accusation, actually. Jesus never compromised truth, but he never withheld love either. If your friends don't believe, don't stop loving them. You may be the closest thing to Jesus they encounter. Now there's a very big difference between influence and compromise, and that is something we as Christians must be very wary of. This is where many Christians become confused. Some believe if my friends don't believe, I should cut them off. Others believe if my friends don't believe, I should just fit in. Neither is biblical. We are called to influence, not to compromise. 2 Corinthians 6 verse 14 says, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. This verse is often misunderstood. Paul isn't saying never speak to unbelievers. Otherwise, evangelism would be impossible. He's talking about partnerships that pull us away from God. So ask yourself, am I influencing them towards Christ or are they influencing me away from Christ? There's a huge difference, and once you've answered that question for yourself, you will be able to know whether you must stick around in that friendship or not. What happens if they mock your faith? Because it happens, especially when it comes from people you love. Jesus warned us that this would happen. John 15 verse 18 says, If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. Following Jesus has never been popular. The early church faced ridicule, the apostles faced persecution. Many believers throughout history lost everything because they refused to deny Christ. Yet Jesus calls us to respond differently. He calls us not to respond with anger or with bitterness, not with revenge, but with grace. Romans 12 14 says, Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Imagine how different the world would look if Christians truly lived this way. Then there's the question, what if they never believe? This may be the hardest section of today's episode. What if you've prayed for years? What if you've shared the gospel? What if you cried over them and still nothing changes? First remember this. You and I, we need to get rid of our Jesus complex. Nicole, what's a Jesus complex? A Jesus complex is the idea that we can save people because we can't. Salvation belongs to God. You cannot save anyone. Only Jesus saves. John 6 verse 44 says, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. That truth should both humble and comfort us. Our responsibility as believers is faithfulness. God's responsibility is transformation. You are called to plant the seed. You are called to water the garden. But God gives the increase. Sometimes we want immediate results. Sometimes you pray for a family member and the next day you want them to be conformed. And it doesn't work like that. God often works over years, sometimes decades. Never underestimate what God can do in someone's life after years of prayer. Some listeners today have been praying for someone for years. Maybe you've prayed through tears, maybe you've prayed through disappointment, maybe you've prayed so long that you're beginning to wonder whether God is even listening. All I can say to you is don't stop. Prayer is never wasted. Every prayer offered in faith is heard by God. Sometimes we imagine that because we cannot see visible change or immediate change, that nothing is happening. But God often works behind the scenes in ways we cannot see. He can arrange circumstances, he can soften hearts, he can bring people across someone's path. He can use conversations, hardships, victories, and even unexpected moments to draw a person closer to him. The person you think is furthest from God, maybe closer than you realize. Consider Saul, a persecutor of Christians, a man who hated believers, a man who actively worked against the church. If anyone looked impossible to reach, it was Saul. Yet God met him on the road to Damascus. In a single encounter, everything changed. God transformed him into Paul, the greatest missionary of the New Testament, the man who once opposed Christ, became one of Christ's most faithful servants. That story reminds us that no one is beyond God's reach. No heart is too hard, no past is too broken, and no rebellion is too deep. Ephesians 3 verse 20 says, Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. God specializes in doing what seems impossible. So keep praying for your friend, keep praying for your spouse, and keep praying for your child, your co-worker, or whoever you laying at God's feet. Keep bringing their name before the Lord, and you may not know when God will move, but you can trust that He is able, and nothing is impossible for God. One of the most difficult parts of loving unbelieving friends is the waiting. We want answers immediately. We want transformation now. We want the people we love to come to Christ immediately. But God's timing is often very different from ours. 2 Peter 3 verse 9 says, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Think about your own journey. Many of us didn't come to faith the first time we heard the gospel. Some of us resisted, some of us questioned, and some of us wandered wondered. Yet God remained patient. The same patience He showed us, He extends to others. When we trust God's timing, we stop carrying a burden that was never ours to carry. We can faithfully pray, faithfully love, and faithfully witness while leaving the results in his hands. Waiting isn't easy, my friend, but waiting with trust produces peace. Now you will be in conversations that are difficult. At some point, many believers face challenging conversations about faith. Your friends may ask the hard questions, they may challenge scripture, they may disagree with your beliefs, and they may even become argumentative. In some moments, remember that your goal is not to win a debate, your goal is to reflect Christ. Colossians 4 6 says, Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each other. Notice that Paul emphasizes grace, not hostility, sarcasm, or pride, grace. Sometimes the most powerful response is simply listening. Ask questions, understand where they're coming from, show genuine care. People are often more willing to hear what you believe when they know that they are respected and valued. You do not need to have an answer to everything. It's okay to say I don't know, but I'll look into that. Humility can be a powerful witness. And even when conversations seem unproductive, God can use seeds planted today to produce fruit years later. If I can give you a warning, this is something that I have really come across on social media on all platforms. Christians do damage to the kingdom of God when they engage in argumentative conversations on social media regarding doctrine. Christians, remember, people are watching us. They are watching what we're doing, and they are watching what we're doing with the Word of God and if we produce the fruit. Perhaps it's a parent, a sibling, a spouse, or even a child. The closer the relationship, the deeper the burden can feel. Yet Scripture continually points us towards hope. Romans 15, verse 13 says, Now may the Lord of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Notice that God is called the God of hope, not the God of despair, not the God of impossibilities, the God of hope. And as long as someone has breath, there is reason to pray. There is reason to believe God can work, and there is reason to trust his power. Many testimonies tell of people who come to Christ after decades of resistance. Some accepted Jesus later in life, others returned after years of wandering. God's grace reaches farther than what we often can imagine. So don't surrender your hope. Entrust your loved ones to the Lord. Continue loving them. Continue praying for them and continue believing that God is still writing their story. Now, while we are called to love unbelievers, we must also be very wise. There is a difference between reaching people and being led away by them. Scripture repeatedly warns us to guard our hearts and be mindful of the influences we allow into our lives. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 33 says, Don't be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits. This is a very stern warning to believers. Notice Paul begins with the words, do not be deceived. Why? Because influence is often very subtle. Rarely does someone wake up one morning and decide to walk away from God. More often it happens slowly. A compromise here, a justification there, a little less prayer, a little less time in God's word, and a little more comfort with things that once convicted us. And before long, we find ourselves drifting. Not because we stopped believing, but because we allowed the wrong voices to become louder than God's voice. Let's look at some practical examples for you. The party crowd. Imagine a young believer who comes to Christ while surrounded by friends who spend every weekend getting drunk. At first, he continues attending the gatherings because he wants to maintain those friendships. He tells himself, I'm not going to drink, I'm just there. And perhaps that's true initially. But week after week, month after month, he is surrounded by the same conversations, same behaviors, and same temptations. Eventually he begins to feel uncomfortable being the odd one out. Then one night he compromises, then another, and then another. What happened? The influence around him became stronger than the convictions within him. That doesn't mean that he should never speak to those friends again. It means he must be honest about whether he's influencing them or whether they are influencing him. Another example is the mocking friend. Perhaps you have a friend who constantly mocks Christianity. Every time you mention church, they laugh. Every time you talk about prayer, they roll their eyes. Every time you discuss scripture, they make sarcastic comments. At first you brush it off, but over time something begins to happen. You become quieter about your faith. You dim your light. Not because you've stopped believing, but because you've become afraid of their reaction. Their influence has begun to silence your witness. That friendship may require boundaries. Not because you hate them, not because you think you're better than them, but because your relationship with Christ must remain protected. Another example is the relationship that pulls you away. This is especially important in dating relationships. Many believers begin relationships thinking I'll change them, I'll bring them to church, they'll eventually come to Christ. Sometimes that happens, but often the opposite occurs. The believer slowly compromises to keep the relationship intact. Church attendance decreases, prayer life weakens, biblical standards become negotiable. What started as a missionary dating becomes spiritual compromise, and that is why scripture warns us about being unequally yoked. God isn't trying to limit us, he's trying to protect us. The last example is Solomon. One of the greatest biblical examples is himself. Here was a man blessed with extraordinary wisdom, a man who spoke with God, a man who built a temple. Yet scripture tells us something tragic. 1 Kings 11 4 says, For it was so when Solomon was old that his wives turned his heart after other gods. Think about it. The wisest man on earth allowed relationships to influence his devotion to God. If Solomon was vulnerable, so are we. Nobody is above influence, and nobody is immune. One last example before I go. Now let's contrast Solomon and Daniel. Daniel lived in Babylon, a pagan culture, a culture that worshipped false gods, a culture that opposed everything he believed. Yet Daniel remained faithful. Why? Because he never allowed Babylon to get into his heart. Daniel served in Babylon, worked in Babylon, lived in Babylon, but he belonged to God. That is the balance Christians should pursue. Living among unbelievers, loving unbelievers and serving them without becoming spiritually compromised by unbelievers. So ask yourself these questions if you want to make it personal. Who has the greatest influence over your thinking? Is it God or someone? Who shapes your values? Who affects your decisions? Who do you listen to most? When you're struggling, whose advice do you seek first? The people closest to us often have the greatest influence over us. And that's why we must choose our inner circle carefully. Not everyone deserves front row access to our lives. Healthy boundaries is not unloving. Many Christians struggle with boundaries because they fear appearing judgmental. But boundaries are not rejection, boundaries are wisdom, and Jesus loved everyone, yet he didn't give everyone equal access to his life. He ministered to the crowds, he invested in the twelve, and he shared his deepest moments with Peter, James, and John. Not every relationship carries the same level of influence, and that's okay. You can love someone deeply while maintaining a healthy spiritual boundary. The goal is not isolation as Christians, the goal is influence. We are called to be salt and light. Salt must touch what it preserves. Light must enter darkness. But salt loses its effectiveness when it becomes contaminated. And light cannot shine when it becomes hidden. Love unbelievers, serve them and pray for them, build relationships with them, but never allow anyone to become more influential in your life than Jesus. Stay rooted in God's word. Stay connected to mature believers that will keep you accountable. Stay prayerful and remember, Jesus called us to reach the world. He never called the world to disciple us. Thank you for joining me today on the Prodigal Daughter Podcast. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who may be praying for a loved one or a friend who doesn't yet believe. And before we go, I want to leave you with this thought. Never underestimate what God can do through a faithful life, a loving heart, and a praying believer. The conversation you had years ago may still be echoing in someone's mind. The kindness you showed may be pointing someone towards Christ. And the prayer you pray today may become part of a miracle you witness tomorrow. So don't give up. Just keep loving, keep trusting, and keep praying. Remember, you may be the seed planter, you may be the waterer, but God is always the one who brings the harvest. You can follow our podcast on all major podcast platforms YouTube, Apple Podcasts. You can follow us on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. Until next time, stay close to Jesus. Keep praying, keep believing, and never lose hope. God bless.