9-27-19 When We Stand

Daily Jot: When we stand - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com

 

The vitriol being expressed in our nation against one another is tasteless and vile. Against the backdrop of the Mueller Report and the border security crisis, we have heard terrible things said about a fellow American, the same theme about anybody who disagrees with the vocal left. It is very difficult to discuss these matters of disagreement with business associates, friends and even family members because they usually end up in heated debates and things are said that shouldn't be said. We, as Christians, need to keep in mind the tenets of our faith when standing up for our principles-especially when we are doing so with family and fellow believers. Civility seems to be a lost art these days.

 

Often, I exhort you through The Daily Jot to pray and act, to speak up for what is right, and to hold accountability by speaking boldly as you ought to speak. But this can be a balancing act in these days. Speaking boldly, doesn't mean being offensive or trying to invoke anger. It doesn't mean reducing the argument to personal attacks. It takes wisdom, compassion, empathy, and the ability to express right in a dignified and effective manner. As the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:15-17, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

 

In short, we need to remember who we are when we are discussing issues of right vs wrong. We need to be armed with the facts and stick to them. Keep bringing the discussion back to the facts. Most people I have run into who want to argue a point about the current state of our nation know very little about the facts. Often what they do know is based on a simple fact, but twisted into a lie. Trying to unravel that lie with them is like untangling a pile of coat-hangers. It takes patience and focus on your point. The purpose of The Daily Jot is to equip and encourage you to evangelize. Evangelizing can take many forms. In our case, it takes the form of using a current event to present a Biblical truth.

 

Deception is always key. People are deceived and, like a virus, they spread deception. Ephesians 5:6-9, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: walk as children of light For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth." Christ has given us life that we may have it abundantly. We don't need to get dragged down into the depths of deceit and anger because we already have the high ground in Christ. We just need to share it appropriately toward one another.