Title
You May Win Arguments, But Not People
Scripture
He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
(Matthew 12:19)
Devotional
Jesus never defended Himself. We never hear Him arguing with anyone. The closest He came to what we may perceive as being argumentative was with the hypocritical Pharisees. They claimed to be subject to God as leaders of the people when they were not. We are to be like Jesus in this regard. We are not called to protest; we are called to be complete witnesses for Christ. This we do by our lifestyles, by our work ethic, and by sharing the hope that we have within us in meekness and with fear.(1) Think about those who have been won to Christ by a quarrelsome presentation. How many have been won? The answer is more than likely none. Oh, we may win arguments, but being quarrelsome never wins people. As hard as it may be, when somebody attacks you verbally, just listen. Answer their questions if they have any, but be slow to let them hear your voice in their streets.
(1) 1 Peter 3:15