It's Not Always the Other Guy's Fault

If you're human(which I'm assuming the majority of my readers are), then you've disagreed with someone before. As a natural result of personal preferences and opinions we will disagree with someone about something. Disagreement is natural, and there's nothing wrong with it, as long as we take the right steps to ensure that our disagreement doesn't become a personal war.

The reason that we will let a disagreement morph into an argument involving personal insults, hatred toward the person, and in some cases even physical abuse, is that we are proud individuals. At the base of any disagreement that is more than just that is a vein of pride. Whether ours or the other person's, it wreaks havoc and is a breeding ground for pain and unnecessary grief.

You would think that if we knew this, arguments wouldn't be an issue because we would find the pride in a dispute and deal with it. After all, I haven't made a new discovery, but rather pulled from a man who lived about 3000 years ago. He wrote this:

"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom."

-Proverbs 13:10

His name was Solomon, and I have benefited greatly from reading his work every morning. He also wrote this a couple verses later:

"Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction:"

-Proverbs 13:18

When we are pig-headed and let our pride lead to an argument, we are not only hurting the other person, but also ourselves. How many times have we realized in hindsight that you did something the hard way because you didn't want someone else to be right?

The next time you disagree with someone, take a minute to think about why you're disagreeing. Is it because you don't want them to be right or that you want the attention for a good idea? We need to take a moment to calm our pride and answer the person with an honest answer and submit if that's what we need to do.

Just a couple thoughts this morning, and I hope it might prick something for you like it did for me.

Have I ever mentioned that I love C.S. Lewis?