Foolish Arguments

In school, I was taught how to present a speech, advancing an idea. In college, I was trained in the art of debate, advancing an idea.  In graduate school and beyond, I was required to defend my degrees and even write a dissertation, advancing my ideas. But, one element sadly missing was any emphasis on listening. Did you ever have a class on listening? 

With all the emphasis on getting our point across, it seems only reasonable that we would be fairly well equipped in presenting  a point or engaging in argument gut woefully sad in listening to understand another or his point of view. 

Sadly, that is the very thing that the Bible warns us against: "Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels" (2Tim 2:23).  Instead, "the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful" (v. 24).

The Christ-like way of advancing an opinion or point of faith is through love and kindness. As we develop friendships, learning to respect the views of another even when you disagree, we will be listening to them and we will be hears. It is in sharing ideas and points of view, not imposing them, that we actually can increase understanding. 

Solomon put it this way, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Prov 27:17).  The idea of rubbing iron pieces against one another requires doing so with a joint purpose. If we engage in discussions with the intent to increase understanding, we will advance our idea but also listen to the idea of the other. 

Jus' Sayn.