Unconvincing Arguments

Even as a kid I loved to argue. Right or not, I had an answer for everything. If I couldn't win the argument with logic, I would do so with plain bulldog tenacity. I could argue even the most ridiculous position to the point that the other person just wore out and quit.

I used to think that was a great quality until God gave me a child who is just like me. Now, not so much.

As the followers of Jesus, we spend a lot of time arguing, defending what we accept as the truth of God's Word. We fight with school boards, governments, scientists, and Oprah. We develop curriculum, organize associations, and orchestrate email campaigns, all for the sake of winning the battle with those who don't believe what we believe. We literally spend millions of dollars of the Kingdom's resources and countless hours of time and energy trying to win arguments with the world.

I'm not going to say that's a bad thing, and in no way would I ever question the heart or motives of those who take on these battles. But I am at the point in my life where I'm asking some tough questions, and here is one: Why do we, as Christians, spend so much time and effort trying to prove the Bible right and at the same time completely ignore so much of the Word in our own relationships?

Think about it. We will defend a creationist view of Genesis 1 to the point of death, but easily turn a blind eye to Jesus' words about forgiving others. (Matt. 6:14-15) We are quick to protest the liberal scholars who seek to redefine the "historical" Jesus, but slow to follow the Biblical direction for resolving conflict. (Matt. 18:15-17) We don't hesitate to express our discontent when society fails to conform to our values, but can be oblivious to our own lack of love for those not like us. (Matt. 5:43-48) While we try to argue the world into believing the Bible, the attitudes and conduct within the body of believers too often contradict the very words we defend.

I know - we are frail human beings and none of us is perfectly like Christ; therefore, inconsistencies will always be a part of the earthly picture. That doesn't mean we shouldn't speak truth to the world around us. Okay - but my struggle is not so much with the reality that inconsistencies exist as it is our failure to confess those inconsistencies in a genuine spirit of humility and repentance. That failure conveys the attitude of arrogance and judgment that so often brings division within the church and mars the image of Christians for those outside the church. When we argue with the world about Biblical values, while ignoring our own failures in following Jesus' words, others will easily dismiss us as self-righteous and hypocritical. What they see is someone more concerned about winning arguments than being like Jesus and loving people.

I have come to realize that the inconsistencies I choose to ignore are not hidden to those around me. They see what I choose not to see, and if I am going to draw anyone into Christ's Kingdom, I must open my eyes and acknowledge my personal failures. The truth is, I am too often guilty of selective hearing. The Scripture is easy to hear and use when it seems to speak to someone else, but it's another story when the light is turned on my own heart. When I finally acknowledge that, and confront my own struggles, I find that I begin to look at others differently. Rather than seeing an opponent who must be argued into submission, I see a person who needs love and grace as desperately as I do.

Personally, I don't know too many people who have successfully been argued into the Kingdom, but I do know many who have found a relationship with Jesus because somebody loved them. Perhaps we would be more effective in our mission if we spent less time trying to win arguments and more time creating communities of love, grace, humility, and acceptance. In a world that is broken and dysfunctional, a community like that just might be a convincing argument.