The Art of Disagreement

Have you ever considered how much emphasis we place on agreement? Take a moment to think about the people you surround yourself with, the church you attend, or those that you would consider to be close friends. Not only that, but think about how you handle those you disagree with. Get the picture?

Lost in much of our society today is the art of disagreement. If you don't believe me, watch the political debates, listen to the news, or pick up a newspaper. Almost everyone operates from an attitude that says "I'm right" or "I have the truth." And nowhere is this more common than in church life.

Let's face it: your church home is typically filled with people who think the same way, approach their understanding of scripture from the same theological direction, and rarely step outside of those boundaries. While we may have a few differing opinions, they are rarely mentioned.

Where am I going with this? Allow me to illustrate...
Last year, I quoted a particular pastor on my facebook page. While I don't remember the particular quote, a certain friend just had to comment. He didn't comment on the quote itself but rather criticized the person that I had borrowed the quote from. I emailed this friend and asked the simple question: If I had placed the quote on my page but didn't give reference to who actually said it, would you agree? His answer? Yeah...I probably would have. (Can you see the problem?)

This has happened on more than one occasion. It saddens me to think that we cannot give credit to people for the good things they say or do depending upon their denominational background, personal lifestyle, or problems they are going through in life. What ever happened to grace?

Paul dealt with this issue in his letter to the church at Rome. He directed the church to not pass judgement on disputable matters. WHAT? You mean the Bible actually says that there are some things up for debate?

I realize that this is a hard subject to deal with for some people. This is especially true when dealing with politics and religion. So how do we handle disagreement? How do we ensure that we keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?
In essential beliefs...have unity.
In non-essential beliefs...have liberty.
In all our beliefs...show charity.

There is nothing wrong with common ground. Find out what is essential in our relationships and be unified in those areas. For everything else, walk in love and grace. It's really not that hard. In fact, I have to do it often. I cannot tell you how many times that I hear a good word, good sermon, etc. - go to someones website or listen to another message and hear/read something that sounds completely opposite of what I agreed with. Do I throw everything else out? Nope...I have learned how to discard the bones and continuing eating the fish.

Please hear my heart in this. I realize that we want to keep people from living in error and the quicker we can get them to agree with us the easier it is (LOL). But I want to encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to have His perfect work in everyone. Listen to Jude's encouragement to the church "Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault." I think we can all trust God to do the same.

The Art of Disagreement:
Walk in GRACE and LOVE
Trust in the Holy Spirit's work in each of our lives
Work on disagreeing without being disagreeable
*You might actually learn something!