My meme shows an opponent being defeated during a chess game. Too often as Christians, we try to argue people into the kingdom. For most of us, that’s a bad strategy.
After all, what drew you to Christ?
I work around people whose politics I disagree with, whose world view is utterly opposite to mine. Sometimes listening to them sharing their opinions frustrates me. But I will not win them into God’s kingdom by arguing. If I was the greatest orator alive, I could not convert them into followers of Christ by logically knocking down all their arguments.
Instead, I have begun silently praying for their salvation each time I’m tempted to defend my point of view. This means I am praying for people in my workplace frequently.
In a way, it’s very lucky I’m so bad at debating; my thoughts are poorly expressed, especially if I am passionate about the topic under discussion.
When I was a younger Christian, I wanted Christ’s ability to demolish his opponents verbally. Jesus won all his verbal encounters. The Pharisees and Sadducees were left flattened. Rendered speechless. Completely silenced. And after being defeated in debates with Jesus again and again, they murdered him–perhaps to finally have the last word.
Below is a longer version of the scripture I referenced in my meme.
23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
(II Tim 2:23-26 (NIV)
Please feel free to share this meme with anyone you like, but keep my blog address intact.
