Day 25 | Philanthropic in Cause

Day 25 | Philanthropic in Cause

Be Kind and Stand Firm

“Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.” Proverbs 11:17

The word philanthropic means the active effort to promote the welfare of mankind. There are many “causes” today being argued and bandied about.  We must be able to kindly state our case and know what we stand for.

As an authentic man, we should seek to calm the rhetoric of harsh and divisive arguments.  Society has become increasingly hostile toward differing opinions.  You’ve heard the statement that we can disagree without being disagreeable – and it’s true.

Don’t get me wrong.  We must boldly stand up for what is right and against what is wrong.  We must stand strong as men.  We must stand upon principle and for liberty of man.  However, we should look for the opportunity to live at peace with our fellow man even if we disagree.

HOW TO ARGUE YOUR CASE

  • Don’t argue for the sake of arguing.
  • Know the subject.
  • Support your cause with facts, you can’t stand upon theories.
  • Don’t use personal attack to argue.
  • Don’t dismiss someone by claiming intellectual superiority.
  • Concede on points that are true but stand firm upon principles.
  • Don’t use intimidating gestures and boastful tones.

If we believe in what we are doing we should be able to articulate it with passion.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE

Have a meaningful conversation with someone that has a different viewpoint than you do.  Seek to find why they believe in what they are doing.  This challenge can be deceptive.  It may be harder than you think it will be.

3 Comments

  1. Kevin Arnold 4 years ago

    This is great challenge. I’ve done this a few times but usually not to debate but to try to understand another’s viewpoint then create debate but still loving them. I have also found this can only be done in person. Way too much is lost or misinterpreted when done through phone, texts, emails and social media (no matter how many creative emojis you find)

  2. Dov 4 years ago

    It’s always hard to find the right tone. Sometimes Jesus was not kind at all. He was very harsh and sometimes even palpable. Sometimes we need to rebuke fools strongly. Sometimes we need to ignore them. Salamon tells us not to argue with them. We also need to be correctable in order not to become fools ourselves. I need wisdom from the Holy Spirit to discern – desperately

  3. Brandon 3 years ago

    Interesting one here. Who shall I seek and what topic shall I engage on? Social media or in person. I will have to keep my ears and eyes peeled for this.

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