Responding to Trouble

What is more important, honoring human differences or getting people on the "right team?"

At first glance, these two objectives appear to be contradictory.

How can a devout Christian be "tolerant" and simultaneously accept the Bible's teaching that people who don't believe in Christ are destined to spend eternity in hell?

Paul makes some interesting remarks related to this difficulty.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul writes that, "God gave us the courage to tell you the good news about him, even though many people caused us trouble."

What this says to me is that the courage necessary to share this orthodox but controversial belief comes from God, not from my own strength.

Therefore, a regular part of my prayer life should include asking God for courage to share about the truth of Jesus' sacrifice with people who do not believe.

But I struggle with the fear that I will drive people away from faith by pushing them too hard. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 that, "Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?"

I do not feel adequate for this task.

But in a sense, I don't feel adequate preparing my students for the state math exam, either! There is always something I could do more efficiently, with more success. But that doesn't mean that I stop creating lesson plans and teaching. It's my job!

Some of my students enter my class with that feeling of enjoying a sweet aroma, while other kids smell death when they're faced with a math problem!

In the same way that I have a gift for helping kids feel successful in math class, I should pray that God will teach me to transfer this talent to my witness for Christ.