BEING BENEVOLENT IS SMARTER THAN BEING "RIGHT"

BEING BENEVOLENT IS SMARTER THAN BEING "RIGHT"

SPORT-A-PHOR
I was playing Pball today. My teammate served to the other team and the receiving player hit the ball out of bounds, giving us the point and the right for our first server to serve again.

As he and I shifted positions for the second serve, the two players on the other team pointed out that we were wrong. They both said that they had served the last ball and therefore it was only our first serve, therefore shifting positions was out of order. My partner and I disputed their claim, but they were not convinced that they were wrong. I stated to them that I understood that they thought they were right, and we thought we were right, but we would concede the point and re-serve the first service ball again.

I asked my teammate to forget the point we had just won and if he would re-serve the ball. As my teammate started to re-serve, the players on the other team realized and spoke up, to acknowledged that we were right, that we had served and won the point and should shift positions for the second serve.

APPLICATION
Listen, anyone can make a mistake. There have been times that I was fully convinced that I had seen something one way, when in fact it actually happened differently. Anyone can be convinced that they are absolutely right about something, but still be wrong. This is where Christians must carefully choose which battles they will fight. Sometimes people fight the wrong battles. This is when the more benevolent and conciliatory person gives way and allows the other person to get away with his blustering and bullying. Sometimes people fight for erroneous reasons, in which case they will turn out to be losers, whether they win or lose the argument.

We need to make sure that our battles are worthy of the casualties that will be left after the dust settles. We also need to make sure that we are basing our arguments on that which is absolute rather than that which is only absolute in our own minds.