Wednesday, January 28, 2015

IT'S NOT EASY BEING RIGHT ALL THE TIME.

Disagreements happen. 
To every person alive.  It's the moment when you and another person decide to  "diss" agreement. (Sorry. Couldn't resist)

The road to disagreement begins because the other person is wrong and you are right.  
Don't be shocked that I wrote that.  Isn't that at the core of disagreement? Of course it is.  You believe you are right and if someone has an opposing and opposite opinion they are wrong.  Having a strong opinion about something isn't wrong and neither is refusing to let another person talk you out of it. Disagreement isn't wrong.  


It's our reaction to disagreement that can destroy. 
Us. Destroy you. Destroy me.

Some of us have the unrelenting need to never be wrong.  Or.  We have the unrelenting need to always be right.  If you think of it, every war, every divorce, every broken friendship, every divided family, every church split, every act of violence we see all over the news on a regular basis is because someone would not accept that someone else did not share - or accept - their opinion.  And they decided to do something about it.  They decided that holding on to their offended heart was the right thing to do.  Someone was convinced their side of the story was SO RIGHT that it was worth doing whatever damage to the person who was SO WRONG.  And the truth is.....there are always two sides to every disagreement.  Always.

But what about the one time when I am right? What about when I am sharing the Gospel? How should I react when someone disagrees with my belief that Jesus is the Only Son of Only God and the ONLY way to be reconciled to God.   There are people who disagree with me.  They don't agree.  They tell me it's my opinion, not Truth Itself.
What is my reaction to this disagreement? 
I let them disagree. That's my reaction.   
My call is to speak Truth. I am not called to ENFORCE it. 

When someone rejects the Gospel, they aren't rejecting me but The One Who sent it.  

Some people choose to disagree with God. That's their right.  In their insistence on being right - and God being wrong - they don't know the joy of living without the heaviness of guilt.  Their anger at God weighs them down. They have never taken a carefree step in their lives - and don't realize what a carefree step feels like. If I explain the peace that passes understanding and how God gives grace and mercy and wisdom to His children, they smile and disagree.  
I am wrong. They are right.  They live sad lives.. because..
...It's not easy being right all the time.
 
“How he wanted to lure you away from danger into a wide and pleasant valley and to prosper you there.  But you are too preoccupied with your imagined grievances against others. Watch out! Don’t let your anger at others lead you into scoffing at God! Don’t let your suffering embitter you at the only one who can deliver you. Do you really think that if you shout loudly enough against God, he will be ashamed and repent? Will this put an end to your chastisement?"  Job 36:16-19 (Living Bible)



 


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What you write are simple thoughts. And they rock me to my fake foundation. Thank you for being real, honest, and easy to understand

Sue Duffield said...

And this is why I love you. Truth.