What do you do when you can’t agree with someone you love?
There is little doubt that as you are reading this you can probably recall a moment when you disagreed with someone you love. It may be a disagreement with a spouse over how children should be disciplined or what to have for dinner tonight. It could be a disagreement between two friends on what movie to see tonight or what are we going to wear as we go out tonight. (girls only problem) Or it could possibly be a little more complex, like what church are we going to raise our children in. Or even deeper than that, it could be what brand of toothpaste are we going to use. Regardless of the depth or lack thereof, there will always be some type of disagreement with people whom you love. Rarely does everyone see eye to eye on all things.
In the book of Acts, we see that even Paul and Barnabas had such a sharp disagreement that they parted ways over it. Disagreements happen.
Acts 15:39 “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.”
So how do you handle moving past this divide?
- Acknowledge the elephant in the room. Usually the tension is obvious. Bring it up and talk about it.
- Address one another with respect. (Respect doesn’t require that you change their opinion)
- Accept the fact that you do not agree on this issue, if in fact, you cannot come to a compromise.
- Agree to love each other no matter what. Put your love in action and leave this behind you. In the big scheme of things, while this may be a disappointment, it is not a reason to miss out on the beauty of a friendship or a relationship that matters more than the issue at hand.
Maturity is loving in spite of differences. The word of the day is Agree to Love. Now go have a better day.