From Proverbs 18:13: "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."
It's happened often enough to me now that I almost expect it. I'm talking to one of God's people about some point of theology, and they say something that's not quite in line with what the Bible says. Or, I'm talking with someone who isn't one of God's people, and they say something that is blatantly different from what the Bible teaches. My first instinct in either of these cases is to stop the conversation at that moment and "correct" them. That's a product of the theological education that I received, as well as some of my own personality that really strives for the "right thing" to be known and believed.
In the past, I've let that immediate desire to correct the person take over. And guess what I have found on a number of occasions. My "correction" wasn't all that well received. For one or two, it actually was upsetting enough that they stopped being interested in our conversation, and sometimes even in the Christian faith. They had questions, and they had thoughts, and those thoughts weren't in line with what God says. And yes, those kind of issues need to be gently addressed. But the point of this post is, should we do that immediately, when it pops up on the conversation?
I've given a lot of thought to this, and I've come up with an answer that I am comfortable living out. I rarely will give an immediate correction. Instead, like the verse from Proverbs above, I want to find out more about what has shaped that person's thought or belief. There may be events in their life that have shaped who they are, and they may not really believe what they say. Or, they simply may not have ever thought about what they believe and why they believe it. One thing tends to hold true, though. They aren't talking about it with the idea that I'm going to instantly correct them on anything that they say that doesn't line up with what the Bible says.
It isn't that I'm avoiding the correction, but I'm interested in learning more about that person. Then, as future conversations unfold, there may be opportunities to probe a little deeper on that thought or belief, and then, to bring what God says into the discussion. If I immediately try to correct them, I may lose that future opportunity. True, there are no guarantees that the future opportunity will ever arise. And yes, I have to remember what it is that need to be talked about. But in the grand scheme of things, I'd rather have that discussion at a time when they are ready for it, rather than forcing it upon a conversation just because I heard something incorrect.
Thoughts? Comments? What have been your experiences in this regard?
It's happened often enough to me now that I almost expect it. I'm talking to one of God's people about some point of theology, and they say something that's not quite in line with what the Bible says. Or, I'm talking with someone who isn't one of God's people, and they say something that is blatantly different from what the Bible teaches. My first instinct in either of these cases is to stop the conversation at that moment and "correct" them. That's a product of the theological education that I received, as well as some of my own personality that really strives for the "right thing" to be known and believed.
In the past, I've let that immediate desire to correct the person take over. And guess what I have found on a number of occasions. My "correction" wasn't all that well received. For one or two, it actually was upsetting enough that they stopped being interested in our conversation, and sometimes even in the Christian faith. They had questions, and they had thoughts, and those thoughts weren't in line with what God says. And yes, those kind of issues need to be gently addressed. But the point of this post is, should we do that immediately, when it pops up on the conversation?
I've given a lot of thought to this, and I've come up with an answer that I am comfortable living out. I rarely will give an immediate correction. Instead, like the verse from Proverbs above, I want to find out more about what has shaped that person's thought or belief. There may be events in their life that have shaped who they are, and they may not really believe what they say. Or, they simply may not have ever thought about what they believe and why they believe it. One thing tends to hold true, though. They aren't talking about it with the idea that I'm going to instantly correct them on anything that they say that doesn't line up with what the Bible says.
It isn't that I'm avoiding the correction, but I'm interested in learning more about that person. Then, as future conversations unfold, there may be opportunities to probe a little deeper on that thought or belief, and then, to bring what God says into the discussion. If I immediately try to correct them, I may lose that future opportunity. True, there are no guarantees that the future opportunity will ever arise. And yes, I have to remember what it is that need to be talked about. But in the grand scheme of things, I'd rather have that discussion at a time when they are ready for it, rather than forcing it upon a conversation just because I heard something incorrect.
Thoughts? Comments? What have been your experiences in this regard?
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