When one side "wins" an
argument, both sides lose. The person or group that was not allowed to make
their point, or who did not have the opportunity to make their point, feels
dejected and frustrated and unable to affect their own life.
This effects their relationship
and attitude about the "winning" side. They may forgive, but they
still feel discounted and misunderstood. They withdraw from the relationship
both emotionally and possibly also physically, even if just a little bit.
The sad point of this scenario is
that this is so unnecessary. There does not have to be a winner and a loser in
an argument. There can be a discussion, which leads to a mutually acceptable solution.
This way everybody wins! No one
person or group "gets their way", but they find an equally impartial
solution that meets everyone's needs.
When we each have a need and our
own solution, but we cannot agree on either one, we can pray or brainstorm
together and find a third alternative that we both like.
We can do some research, ask
advice from other people, read some articles on the topic, go to a counselor if
necessary, and find a third alternative that both sides agree upon.
Then everyone is happy, everyone
feels heard and valued, and everyone wins. In our society, we have a two party
system and we tend to be black-and-white thinkers.
There is no room or tolerance for
any gray areas that may require that we think outside of our little box, to
experiment, and to consider the good of the group rather than for our self
alone.
The only area that is not up for
compromise is our belief in and devotion to God. We follow His Spirit's
direction in every area of our life and we stand firm on the Word of God alone.
Prayer:
Father God, help us to be more
interested in serving others than our self, putting the needs of others in the
same degree of importance in our life as our own needs. Remind us not to
neglect our self, but to honor others as our self.
You have a perfect will and way
for our life and it is our responsibility to hear from Your Spirit in every
aspect of our life (Ephesians 2:10; Proverbs 3:5-6). We draw near to You,
refuse to allow Satan to wreak havoc in our life and we allow You to direct our
paths (James 4:7).
Thought for the Day:
Once we purify the desires of our
soul by obeying God's truth, we develop a genuine love for others, we love each
other deeply and we maintain a pure heart for God to use in His service. - 1 Peter 1:22
