As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.
Romans 14:1-3
When I don’t agree with something, you will know about it. I may not always say it, I usually would do though, but I think my face gives it away most of time! So if you see my eyebrows furrowing when you’re talking and I’m still silent, I’ll apologise now because it’s probably because I don’t agree with you. I will keep quiet though, not because I know better, but because I will respect you and you have your own opinion.
Knowing when to disagree in the right moments, and when not to say anything at all, is really hard. Believe me, there have been many times when I have opened my mouth so wide that my foot has ended up in it. It’s only afterwards have I then realised I should have kept my mouth shut, despite how much I may have disagreed.
Standing up for what you believe in is commendable, but it’s not always the right thing to do in that moment. I’m not saying you shouldn’t stand up for what is right. If you see something is morally wrong then rightly so, something needs to be said. But if someone is just disagreeing with your opinion because they hold a different view, this is not being morally wrong. This is just a different way of looking at things.
Standing up for what you believe in is commendable, but it’s not always the right thing to do in that moment. Share on XIf your conversation turns into a full blown argument, why carry it on just so you want to get your point of view across? If it means hurting the other person in the process, and getting yourself worked up, is it really worth it? I don’t think so. In the long run, I think I would rather have a friend to talk to than lose a friend in an argument.
I would rather have a friend to talk to than lose a friend in an argument. Share on XSomething to think about…
There is not one opinion that is better than another, it is just different, and God loves and welcomes each and everyone of those different perspectives into His family. Next time you get into a conversation with someone and you disagree with them, why not think in that moment if it would be better to agree than disagree.
Prayer
Lord, help me to watch my mouth if I find myself in a situation where I am confronted with someone who disagrees with what I say. Help me to discern when it is best to stand up and speak, and when I should agree to disagree. Amen
I wrote this post as a response to the Five Minute Friday word prompt “agree”. Everything written before the first line break was in 5 minutes.
Click here to see what other people wrote when they were prompted with this word.
Thank you neighbor! I am finding that knowing when to speak, what to say, and when to remain silent is like an intricate dance. It takes practice!!
Oh it so is…and I often put my foot wrong! Thank you for popping by.
Thank you for sharing, Lynne! I know that feeling when I talk to someone and they make that look. It can make you somehow uncomfortable. What do you do when someone disagrees with you?
I try not to make that look as I know it can make people uncomfortable, but I find it hard to conceal how I feel if someone disagrees with me. A lot of the time when someone disagrees with me in a positive way, I will state my point. If someone is aggressive in how they talk I know to back down gracefully. I don’t like confrontation that much, but if I feel passionate enough I will stand my ground. Thank you for stopping by.