We all have our points of view and opinions we believe are right. And it’s only natural to want to persuade others to our understanding of things. But it becomes a point of pride to then demand total agreement – looking down on others who hold a different view.
Of course, Truth transcends our personal opinions. It will remain true whether we agree with it or not. Certainly, wisdom convicts us to align ourselves with Truth, and our love for others compels us to invite them to do the same. But we don’t have to frustrate ourselves trying to defend Truth. It defends itself, though we might have to personally stand against the application of various Lies.
But, more often than not, our everyday disagreements are not wrestling with matters of absolute Truth. We fight and bicker with each other regarding our own preferences. For instance, there are many disagreements regarding what we should eat or drink, what entertainment is appropriate, or which social policies are the best. These disagreements are good in that they allow us to think deeply through our positions rather than merely adopting them in bad faith. But a test of our pride comes in how we handle these disagreements.
To be sure, we won’t always agree with others on how to best handle situations. And, when we’re honest, we might even be divided within ourselves at times. But disagreeing, even passionately, doesn’t mean we have to demean or look down on the other. Love still calls us to treat each other with dignity and respect even when we disagree. And we’re failing in this weightier matter when our pride demands everyone agrees with us.
In the end, advocate for what you believe without letting this be fueled by pride. Reasonable disagreements are just part of being human, and pride is getting the best of us when we expect otherwise.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
