Be Sure to Understand

More from the iMonk in a long, but worthwhile post. The highlight:

Did you ever notice how Jesus deals with those he has serious disagreements with?

Those Pharisees? Jesus had a lot in common with them. But at some of those key points, there was serious division and disagreement.

So watch Jesus. Do what he does. Don’t do what Jesus doesn’t do.

He interacts with the Pharisees. He doesn’t avoid them.

He lets them finish their sentences.

He doesn’t yell at them.

He asks good, subversive, insightful questions.

He tells stories.

His “points” are simple and on target.

He understands how these differences arise, i.e. out of methodology or values.

He never compromises.

He leaves the conversation in the hands of the Holy Spirit.

Can you improve on that? I can’t. In fact, I have a long way to go to get anywhere close to it.

This is the only way to get anywhere. And if you don’t want to get anywhere in your discussion, well you are in the wrong game. Without listening to the other, you’re talking to yourself, you’re talking to hear yourself talk. It is just you in your little world. It can get awful lonely, I’ve been there before. I hope to never go back. Beyond listening, communicating is perhaps the single hardest thing to do. It is definitely the hardest thing for me to do effectively.