I have a good friend who sometimes laughs and says to me, "I don't always like what you tell me, but I usually discover it makes me grow stronger." See, I have one of those very straightforward personalities. If you have read my posting about "Music In God's House", you'll remember that someone else asked me "if I couldn't just keep my mouth shut" rather than have a dialogue about what is or isn't appropriate music in church. I don't generally mince words and believe the world would be a much better place if we could all be comfortable with honest answers. I realize many people think that being nice is more important than being honest but I disagree. Sometimes these people misinterpret honesty as hostility. I am not sure if this is because it gets them out of their comfort zone or if it's just because they view the world through different glasses.
So the real question becomes, as a Christian, am I supposed to always be bubbly and nice regardless of the situation or are there times when conviction of the Bible truth and awareness of our need to ready ourselves for eternity make it appropriate hold strong to your beliefs and be zealous in your desire to share with others and help them understand the importance of not allowing the things of this earth to distract us. If we are among good friends, is it ok to challenge one another in a positive manner so we grow stronger together? I like what Paul says in Romans 1:11-12 "I want to see you and share with you the same blessings that God's Spirit has given me. Then you will grow stronger in your faith. What I am saying is that we can encourage each other by the faith that is ours."
As I sit here and ponder this, I went surfing the net and found an article I really appreciate and I have linked it here for you to enjoy also. Stubborn or strong conviction? By Reisinger
I am still prayerfully pondering my own question, I'll tell you the answer once God shares it with me. In the meantime, I'm sticking to the advice in I Thess 2:14-16.
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