Have you ever met someone w ho liked to argue?They like to sit around sipping coffee and having deep discussions....They like to debate and point out whats right and whats wrong with a particular topic.I am pretty sure we all know people like that!
I have been challenged lately to let those arguments go.
I am learning that the only lens that matters is the lens of Jesus. Let me explain.....The purpose of my communication with someone is to inspire and challenge them to live their life differently. Ultimately, I want them to decide that living for Jesus and having a relationship with Jesus is what truly matters. Period!
When I am in conversation with someone whose views and positions are different then my own, it is very natural for me to become defensive and begin to create a list of all the reasons that I am right and all the reasons that they are wrong. That is the flesh side of dealing with an issue.
What I am learning, is that sometimes I have to let it go. Sometimes people are not interested in hearing what I have to say and just want to talk and argue for the sake of talking and arguing.....
I can not control the motives or reasons that a person addresses me.... I can control only how I respond and only how I choose to react.I think in situations like that, the most important thing to remember is that your actions and words must reflect the change that you desire. Everything has to be filtered thru the lens of Jesus. What can I say, how can I act, what can I show that is going to challenge them to live for His glory.
It is not my job to change them. I can't and don't want to change them. The only person who can do that is God. I don't want to carry that burden! I instead, want to make sure that all that I say and all that I am about lets the light of God shine thru to the world He has created. I can't fix them. Only God has the power to do that!That means walking away from a discussion even when you know you are right. That means learning to be quiet when it would be easier to just tell them what you think. That means that building the relationship is more important then winning the fight!
I don't just want to talk about it and study it.... I don't just want to say it with my words and my journals. I want to live it, breathe it, become it! When I learn how to change my responses and my motives, God receives the glory -- That is what its all about.
I am going to leave those deep discussions about all the issues around the coffee be left up to someone else. My life and my being are defined not by how well I can argue my points but by how I respond to God's will EVERY day!
