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In 1983, Stanislav Petrov was a Soviet officer monitoring early-warning systems when alarms falsely signaled incoming U.S. missiles. The protocol said to report it and trigger nuclear retaliation. He trusted his gut, disobeyed, and prevented what could have been WWIII. His level-headedness prevailed, which changed history forever.
Pick any hot-button issue you like:
Looking over that list, is it at all possible for you, too, to refrain from going nuclear with those to whom you disagree? Forget everyone else for a second. I’m directing this to Jesus-followers. Is your position so doggedly certain that leaving dead bodies in your wake seems somehow right? Are you kidding me?
Some people might retort, "Well, Jesus got angry at the moneychangers, and it apparently worked for Him." First of all, Jesus overturned their tables in the Temple because God’s glory was at stake. It was would-be worshippers being taken advantage of that so inflamed Christ’s passions. But He, unlike us, did not sin in the process. Mixed motives never entered in. I’m not sure that is ever the case with us. We always approach with an angle, always.
If I asked your family which verses best describe you, which would they pick?
With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. Proverbs 11:9
A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. Proverbs 29:11
The one who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32
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Years ago, I read a story about a man from Michigan who had an idea for removing a tree stump from a friend's yard. He decided to use some dynamite he had stored away in his house. It did the trick. The explosion turned the stump into an airborne missile and traveled 163 feet down-range before crashing through a neighbor’s roof. The stump opened a 3-foot hole in the roof, split the rafters, and pushed through the ceiling of the dining room.
Can you see yourself in the actions of the dynamite user, using explosive words to state your case, which only made things worse? If you win the argument, but lose the person, is it really worth it?
Scottish runner Eric Liddell, portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire, served as a missionary in China for 20 years—the last two in a Japanese internment camp during the Second World War. In the stressful environment of the camp, he was known as a peacemaker among individuals and groups whenever anger flared. Liddell’s life left a deep impression on everyone.
When a Japanese guard asked why Liddell was not at roll call one day, a man told him that Eric had died unexpectedly a few hours earlier. The guard paused, then replied, Liddell was a Christian, wasn’t he? Liddell spoke no Japanese; the guard spoke no English. Their only direct contact was at the required roll calls, twice a day.
How did the guard know Liddell was a Christian?
He must have seen Christ in Eric as he resolved conflicts in the camp.
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So go ahead. Have at open and honest discourse all you want. But do so with measured repose. Nastiness is never acceptable. Acting as such, I believe, is beneath believers. You can respect a person’s right to voice their opinion, without respecting the opinion itself. (Let that sink in.)
Practically for hot-heads, write this on a notecard and tape it to your desk. You need it, and I guarantee it will help.
