Read: Jeremiah 44:24-47:7, 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17, Psalm 94:1-23, Proverbs 26:6-8
Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.
(2 Timothy 2:23)
Relate: I was tempted to pull out some quotes. I was really tempted. It would have been really easy. You see, at last check, I’ve got 970 facebook friends. I figure at least fifty of them have no business owning a facebook account. Why? Because they just can’t help but get involved in all kinds of foolish, ignorant arguments and facebook is a breeding ground for such nonsense. I’ve got fundamentalist friends who will post nonsense about how all pentecostals have bought into the kundalini spirit. I’ve got pentecostal friends talking about how all dispensationalists don’t know how to read their Bible. I’ve got republican friends trying to convince the world Obama is the antichrist and liberal friends who say all republicans are uncaring obstructionists. Guns kill people. No people kill people. If we all had guns the world would be a much safer place. No, if you took them all away it would. On and on, round and round, topic after topic, it never stops.
It was such a blessing for me to realize that I can remove people from my news feed. Even as I write this, I am making a mental list of people who I have done this to. God bless them and I love them to death, but my facebook feed is a much quieter civil place without them. Do you know anybody like that? If your friends were reading this, would you be the one that comes to mind for them?
React: I know that for a long time I would have been. That old dragon of always having to be right every now and then crops up again, but for the most part, by the grace of God, it remains slain in my life. I can still remember the very moment when God first began to really work on me in this issue. I was out at a coffee house with some friends in college when one young lady said to me, “You always have a response to everything, don’t you?” Of course I just looked right at her, sealed my lips, and smiled… just to prove her wrong.
That night God really began putting His finger on my heart. I was a part of multiple message boards all because I found the discussion “stimulating”. No. It was because I liked to argue. He began to remind me of so many times I’d hurt other people because I had to be right. He started showing me opportunities missed because of my displays of arrogance. Then I began to realize it wasn’t really arrogance but rather insecurity that led me to always argue. If I was truly secure in Him then I would display love, and peace, and self discipline, and kindness, and the need to prove myself would go away.
It has been a long road. I know I still have a long ways to go. Sometimes I still get sucked in to a facebook or real life debate. I think every now and then that isn’t really a bad thing as long as we know when to duck out and where to draw the line. But even then I’m pretty sure it is always a waste of time. I’m trying to learn to just state my peace and be done with it. Speak the truth in love, once, and then move on. Let God be God. He’s much better at that than I am.
Respond:
God, if others think I’m wrong. That’s OK. Help me to concern myself less and less with their opinions. Yours is the only one that truly matters. Help me to find a healthy balance between proclaiming Your truth and getting bogged down in stupid arguments. Help me to have grace for those who hold viewpoints that are different from mine. Help me to show love without compromising truth. You’ve brought me a long way with this and for that I’m thankful and give You glory. Help me to keep moving in the right direction. Help people to know I’m a Christian by Your love displayed through me.
THE RIVER WALK 
Reblogged this on Glenford's Daily Word, Food, & The Vine.
Great post! I had facebook for one full year before I decided to deactivate it. Life is so much more peaceful & calm without it. And I have to agree, it is a breeding ground for nonsense.
“Being right” is a powerful drug… I’m trying to sort out the difference between argument and dialogue – when am I just arguing for the sake of winning the argument, and when am I trying to contribute something positive and helpful? It can be a fine line. Thanks for reminding me…
I’ve had to remove some people from my feed for the same reasons, and I’m equally sure some have removed me from theirs because I am usually posting something about the Word to encourage hearts.
Reblogged this on maryhallrayford and commented:
Worth the read and the application.
Reblogged this on Twitters anonymous.
Reblogged this on Janny Revealed and commented:
I wasn’t thinking of reblogging, except this is really good 😉
Fantastic post! Thank so much!
Reblogged this on Soultivating a Genesis Revelation and commented:
This is so true!
Are you sure you wrote this or did you enter my mind and write about me? Aweome job. I think I will reread this frequently. It really touched a chord!
Reblogged this on Of Broken Dreams,Faith, Ailments and Struggles .
Oh, I figured out how to reblog this at practicalcatholicblog.wordpress.com and did so. Thanks again for a great message well presented.
Awesome post! God bless you (smile)
Beautiful song. Love it. Thanks for sharing. Keep posting awesome stuffs buddy. Smiles.
Reblogged this on RG's 2 Cents and commented:
Even as an old man, I’m still having to learn this lesson…
Amen! Interesting you described the urge to be right as a dragon. I’ve reading Revelation. The strength & power of the dragon is conquered by the weakness of the slain Lamb. Those who do not love their lives in the face of death but are killed by the dragon also conquer the dragon. The spirit of the Lamb wins by losing & is right by not fighting to be right. Praise God for His work in your life!
I’d never heard of kundalini. I feel enlightened now. [chuckle] The Lord is still working on me, too, in that area. Thank you, BJ!
Reblogged this on Samuel Hall and commented:
BJ consistently nails it. This post got me right between the eyes–my insecurity. See what it says to you.
Reblogged this on thedreamyactiveinertbrain.
I love how you say this: “If I was truly secure in Him then I would display love, and peace, and self discipline, and kindness, and the need to prove myself would go away.”
It struck me constructively! Thank you for writing this timely…
Let God be God…good advice for all of us. He is indeed better at it than we are.
Awesome post and testimony of deliverance through God’s grace! I needed to read this today because of an argument that was really simply based on two people with different points of view and one needing the other to just agree…as long as my point of view agrees with the Lord’s I will be just fine. Thanks for sharing;-)
This article is right on. If only we, as believers, would have ears to hear & eyes to see! Getting caught up in all these foolish debates happens when we forget that it is God who’s ways and thoughts are higher, not our own! Instead we enter into conflict and allow ourselves to be offended instead if united in the love of Christ for one another. I have been meditating on my need for humility before God and asking Him to help cloak me in that. Thank you for your honest message. I hope with God’s grace to post more from a faith perspective on my blog. Blessings.
Reblogged this on Christian Comfort & Conversation Cafe and commented:
Awesome post of lessons on sealing our lips
Facebook has been a place where in my loneliest times I have found companionship, new friends, likeminded freinds, some of whom I have neveer yet met, some of my real flesh and blood friends have disappeared from my life during that time. You certainly know who your friends are when the chips are down. However, facebook is also a place that has become a ministry and for that reason alone is my reason for keeping connected. I went to close down my account and a number of friends wrote in desperation for me not to do so…that they felt I was a valuable source of inspiration and focus with their walk with God. So I opened a new account. I think I have many very old friends, from school days, who would be glad to defriend me because of my overt Christian postings but they are too kind to reject me on that basis alone, thankfully.
This is me but I am changing with Holy Spirits help and realising that I cant save the world or even myself and that winning arguments does not bring anyone closer to Jesus. I am starting to practice “BE STILL and know that I am God” and be quick to hear and slow to speak. Not easy but His grace is sufficient. Blessings Raymond
I have deactivated my Facebook account so many times, I’ve lost count, and have had to “unfriend” and “block” people for trying to provoke political or religious debates. Either that, or they felt it necessary to verbally and lengthily debate an opinion that I had and dared to write. This is a very good piece. Thank you for writing on the subject. It’s a lovely blog in general.