Do we ever find ourselves becoming angry, sarcastic, or hostile when someone disagrees with our understanding of morality, the Bible, or the afterlife? If so, how do we explain our rush of emotion?

Do we intuitively sense that anger will enable us to make a better case for our beliefs? Has our experience taught us that people are more likely to be open to our thoughts when they see our anger or hear our sarcasm?

What if we were able to show that we are secure enough in our own convictions (if we really are) to be able to listen, respect, and ask honest, non-threatening questions that show our desire to understand the person disagreeing with us? Would taking the time to show concern about understanding and respecting that person show a lack of confidence in what we believe to be the truth—about God, human nature, and how to express ourselves honestly, and lovingly?

Would such an approach put us in conflict about what we know about our Teacher, his Spirit, or the wisdom that he wants to give us?

Vote on whether you think this post is something you'll be thinking about:

(+83 rating, 86 votes)

Loading...