Generally speaking, there’s a common ground we can find with most others. While our approaches might be vastly different, there remains a higher good that we’re all pressing toward. But this is not always the case and sometimes our goals are in direct conflict with each other.
It’s clear everyone has their own opinions and we won’t agree on every issue. And, for the most part, we learn to make allowances for these differences.
Everything is not worth fighting about and sometimes love yields – not forcing an issue and ever ready to extend the benefit of the doubt. We assume a basic goodness in the other and we’re willing to sacrifice our personal preferences for their good.
At the same time, love doesn’t mean anything goes. And sometimes we realize we’re not heading in the same direction.
For instance, it’s clear light doesn’t live with darkness, and goodness doesn’t try to befriend evil.
To be sure, a lion is not tamed into a kitten simply by petting it. And there is likewise no reasoning with things clearly opposed to God’s truth and goodness. There’s no coddling or trying to find the good in what is evil.
This means we can’t do life with just anyone, as not everyone is going in the same direction God has called us to go.
And we must not compromise what is true and good to be merely appeasing and nice to those we’re in conflict with.
There’s a time for peace and a time for war. And we readily take up the sword to advance God’s kingdom of light whenever needed.
In the end, our light is diminished the more we attempt to compromise with darkness.
Remember the clear difference between goodness and evil and do not partner with anything that compromises God’s best.
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
