How do you counsel someone who isn't a Christian in their marriage, when they ask you for advice?

When all of the principles you apply to yours are Christian principles, and you have a great marriage, but you watch theirs suffering?How do you counsel someone who isn't a Christian in their marriage, when they ask you for advice?
It is not necessary to use Christian terms to counsel people who are going through marital troubles. They may have come to you because they know you are going to encourage them to work things out rather than run. Stick to the positive and encourage them to seek out a counsellor they are comfortable with. Do not try to be a counsellor to them, but instead direct them toward one who will encourage them to work on their problems. It is better for you to remain a friend who can be a shoulder to lean on, it can become messy and troublesome for you if you take on the role of counsellor as well. A professional is better equipped to take on a neutral role, as opposed to a friend who is more apt to take sides, no matter how well intentioned you may be.


If they ask for your opinion on certain matters, give your honest opinion, but leave the gospel message out of it. Your life should be enough representation of the gospel for them. When they ask about your faith, use that opportunity to share it. You would be amazed at how easily the two go hand in hand, but you can't force them to one direction when all they are seeking is help.


And lastly, be the link between them and the cross and pray for them daily. Prayer is the key to solidifying and maintaining relationships, and don't be afraid to at least tell them that you are praying for them. when they begin to see the work of God in their lives because of your prayers, they will be more willing to seek God for their own lives.





YOu and I all know what God's take is on marriage, but that is an attitude we have embraced through a relationship with Christ. Pushing God's ordinances on a person who is struggling will only serve to further alienate them. Love them (afterall that is the thread that ties the entire Bible together) and lead them toward the love they once had and do still have for each other.





Good luck and I pray that your friends find happiness with each other once more.How do you counsel someone who isn't a Christian in their marriage, when they ask you for advice?
being a christian you have the gift to help any one no matter what religion they are. just tell them the basic things that are keeping your marriage healthy. remember us christians are still human we have good times and bad times. also if you had any problems in the past and over came them use those as a way to help the couple your trying to help God bless.
Don't assume the reason they have problems is because they aren't Christian...plenty of Christians have marital problems....your an idiot. Please don't offer any advice to anyone because I don't think you are all there.
This is one of the common divisions that comes with marrying an unbeliever. Thats what God warned us about not doing.


But since the deed is done, and you love your husband, and you have compassion, then you should offer yourself as the best support possible to his needs. Comfort him, and tell him that this will pass. Tell him that you are here for a shoulder to lean on and cry on. Tell him that you love him, and that if he needs your help in any way, you are there to help him through his hard times.
Hey,





Its nice to consider such a thing which shows that u care for others too.





The best way to give an advise is to show them how happy u r by applying what u learn and act as a Christian. Then u can advise them and tell them that u care for them and give them some hints that they could apply.





The best gift u could ever give to someone is to offer a real life %26amp; genuine example of yours that others can apply.





Good luck鈥?amp; Have a great day
I am an atheist, and have made quite a good living as a marriage counselor. I submit you probably don't apply only christian principles to your own marriage. You probably apply good, sound principles to your marriage. In the christian faith, a lot of the ideals are based on the same principles. You just learned them by being a christian. There are other ways to learn them.


I have often said, though I am not a christian, the bible has some pretty good ideas about how to be a really good person.
The best advice you could possibly give is to tell them to take their problems to a trained and certified marriage counselor. A pastor is NOT a good person to turn to - they rarely have the needed training and all too often offer exactly the WRONG advice. There's a reason more divorces happen between Christian couples!
we are all Christians under the eyes of God


and some people ask for advice as a friend and religion has nothing to do with it
There are allot of ways to spread to word of God to people who have neither heard it or don't believe.


I would use the words of god to answer there questions,maybe the way God might have.


If there are any story's from the bible that apply to the situation ,change the names around to modernize the story.What ends up happening is they just heard the words of god and you've helped them without pushing God onto them .
First off, I am a traditional Catholic. That means Latin Mass and the whole nine yards.





That being said, even NON Christians who LIVE in the way (or try their best) to live in a manner which is pleasing to God have just as much chance at making it to heaven as I do.





Even Non-Christians have good and bad marriages.





You counsel these people not by Christian beliefs, but by human decencies and understanding- ALL people, Christians, Muslims, Atheists, etc....have the SAME human needs and feelings.
Give advice based on whatever your morals/experiences are. To me ';Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'; is what it all boils down to when you're trying to make any relationship work, romantic or otherwise...and while this is a ';Christian'; moral, it has also been expressed in many other religions and cultures.





If your friend respects you, they should respect that you're trying to give them your best advice. Of course if it goes against their own moral or religious beliefs, they are free to ignore you and go their own way, to their advantage or peril.
you are funny.
Did they ask for advice?





Christian principles such as what? Treat each other with respect? Do not commit infidelity?





And you think those principles don't apply to non-Christians? Pull your head out of the sand. Christians have as much dysfunction in their marriages as any other group. How about applying the greatest Christian principles of all, which is to love unconditionally, practice grace, etc. A person's religious denomination should not dictate whether or not you give them good advice.
Be yourself....and take some boldness.....if she/he really wants the truth then they will come back for more.....
There are principles that anyone can follow and you can pass them on without saying that they are Christian.





Being respectful to each other


Listen to each other


Treat him the way you want him to treat you








not that hard...
When I find myself in a similar situation, I usually begin by explaining that there are very few things in life that I don't see in terms of my spiritual life and my walk with God. I share with them how my faith in Jesus Christ has helped me to deal with struggles like the ones that they are facing. I then share with them the principles by which I live. I tell them that they don't have to be a Christian to live by these Christian principles so that they don't think I'm just trying to convert them or something.
If they ask for advice, you can give them advice based on your Christian principles without saying they come from your Christian religion.





She has asked you for advice because she has seen how good your marriage is. You can feel free to tell her that part of your marriage being so good is because both of you are Christian, believe in God and count on him to add purpose to your lives.





Like all good advice, it is up to the person to decide whether the advice helps them or not.





Good Luck
It's good that you want to help someone in a bad situation and that this person trusts you enough to come to you for advice.





Listen to what they have to say first. Now is not the time to try to convert someone to your beliefs. Since they've asked you, it's OK to tell them what is working for you as a couple, be that through your faith or through communication, or whatever it is that works. Your faith is your foundation, but I'm sure there are other aspects as well.





There may be more issues than just not being Christian. It's great that your faith is so strong and holds your marriage up. Unfortunately, not everyone has the same beliefs. We may not agree with that, but we do have to respect that.