By: Justin Beville
You do not have to look far to realize that there is a presidential election on the horizon. TV, radio, advertisement, social media, and many other things are geared toward the upcoming presidential election. Circumstances led to two presidential debates leading up to November’s election. Very different debates, but the same expected outcome for both parties. Who won?
This post is not intended to answer that question, but to offer a different perspective on debates. Christians will often debate their view of biblical theology and eschatology. There is no shame and nothing wrong with discussing and debating various topics. Even presidential debates have their place. These times are often times of sharpening and strengthening of our faith or our understanding of a particular political platform and agenda. Unfortunately, it is not always this way. Debates often end in a manner not worth discussing. People get hurt and emotions boil over. Is it worth doing whatever it takes to “win” the debate? Should Christians aim to be victorious from their perspective when it comes to theology and eschatology? When discussing and debating with an unbeliever, do we do more damage trying to win the argument rather than winning the person?
When I woke up this morning, multiple news sources, articles, and my social media feed were full of views on who won the second presidential debate last night. Presidential results and debates matter, but does it do more harm than good if the outcome is solely victory? Do not get me wrong, I love being an American and am grateful for our political system and freedoms. I am just asking the question: What if we focused more on winning people than winning debates? What if you had to “lose” a debate in order to win a person that otherwise would not of been swayed. It takes great humility to be willing to not “win” in terms of the world. It takes great humility for a Christian to say, “I do not have a good answer to that, but I will find out and get back to you.”
Winning is fun, I get it! Too bad my Atlanta Braves did not win the NLCS this past week (I am still bitter). Winning people and their trust is better. I would much rather trust someone as an end result than know that my representative won a ruthless blood bath. I would rather have the opportunity to talk with someone again about Christ, than to tarnish any opportunity to ever speak into their life again because I won the debate.
Healthy discussion and humility will go a long way! It is okay to disagree with someone else. We should be able to have healthy discussion, but never at the expense of losing hope to ever communicate again.
Missional Creations 