165 SHHHH
165 SHHHH
Isa 30:15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
I have noticed a pattern with people and their confidence level. In a discussion where two people disagree and each is trying to convince the other that they are right, the conversation follows a predictable path.
In the case where each cares for the other, they will be presenting their facts to show why they believe they are right and listening to the other to understand why they believe that they are right.
[Sometimes they are both right and are just looking at the situation from different levels. Of course, there is also the possibility that they are both wrong and don’t know it.]
However, I have noticed that a lot of conversations happen where one or both parties do not care what the other thinks and only want to prove their argument is the right one. When this happens they usually disagree with each other and the discussions take some pretty drastic turns. Their voices will start to rise as they try harder and harder to convince the other of their rightness and the other’s wrongness.
Interrupting each other in a sentence and in the middle of explaining their present thought starts happening more often as each becomes more determined to convince the other. Polite conversation and respect for the other leaves and only determination remains.
The more resistance each has to the other only fuels that individual to try harder by talking louder, more often and with more and more energy until they are both either embroiled in a heated argument or worse.
Finally, the one who thinks that they are losing and runs out of things to say about their side of the discussion will start resorting to personal attacks on the other’s actions, thoughts and even their personality; causing hurt feelings and a long lasting breakdown of communication and feelings for each other.
This can happen even among Christians when they do not CARE for each other. When you care for someone you will respect them for being an individual that God has made and that God has enabled to think and reason. [Maybe even differently than you.]
When one cares for another, they will listen to what the other says and answer calmly and carefully; not trying to convince the other that you are right and that they are wrong but presenting your proof so that they can see it. If they don’t then it should not effect your conversation or relationship.
I have found that in a discussion, those that are really right do not have to raise their voices or talk over the other person and they don’t run out of proof of their belief. They can let the other present their proof and then present their own contrary evidence. [Or, even, agree on a point or two. Not every discussion is one sided and not every person is totally wrong on everything.]
Christians are to walk by faith but not blind faith. Faith that is tested and proved then becomes actual history and a reality for the person that experienced it.
It’s hard to argue about a subject that you have not experienced but the other has lived in day to day. They don’t have to get upset with your arguments because you haven’t lived their reality and can feel sorry for your lack of understanding of their truth.
