Can We Stop Arguing about EVERYTHING?

I spend more time on social media than many people these days, partly because of work, but I also like to know what’s going on in the world and with the people close to me. Social media was such a neat thing when it first began, but as you likely know, it’s gone off the rails.

One of the biggest gripes I have about social media has to do with Christian behavior in Facebook Groups, X (Twitter) posts, and a lot of other platforms. It seems as though all that many Christian people want to do is argue with each other, and some arguments are about the smallest things.

When did we have to be “right” all the time? Not one single human on the planet is always right, including me. I’m old enough now to be comfortable admitting that.

Let me give you an example. I’ve been plenty irritated with the Rapture discussion on social media these days. Will it be before the Tribulation, during, or after? I see way too much discussion about if it's going to happen and when it’s going to happen instead of how we can be ready for it. How can we help others find the Lord in time to be ready for it? What’s the priority here?

Social media arguments and political vitriol are out of control

So, I chimed in one day (I think in a Facebook group) that I’m pretty convinced it will be a pre-Tribulation Rapture but said it’s pointless to argue about this. I then asked how this would help win souls to the Lord.

Here’s where it got weird. You’d have thought I committed blasphemy, and I am not exaggerating. I was informed that believing in the pre-Trib versus post-Trib rapture could damn people to the “fires of hell” if they don’t get it right.

Wait, what? I politely asked where it says that in the Bible and got no response, of course.

Evidently, we humans have been arguing over small stuff for a very long time. I was reading Romans, Chapter 14, and came across something that stood out. The Apostle Paul, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all apostles, said it simply in the second half of verse 1: “Don’t argue about doubtful issues.”

It turns out in the early days of the Church that some of the newer Jewish or Gentile believers had a hard time letting go of the things they’d learned, such as keeping Jewish dietary laws. Other Gentiles were so paranoid about eating meat sacrificed to idols after converting to Christianity that they only ate vegetables.

Paul said it this way: “One person believes he may eat anything, while another eats only vegetables. One who eats (meat) must not look down on one who does not eat, and the one who doesn’t eat (meat) must not look down on one who does because God has accepted him.”

In more modern lingo, is Paul saying here to “stop sweating the small stuff?”

He goes on to say, “One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Whoever observes the day, does it for the Lord.” (Romans 14:5)

“Whoever eats, eats to the Lord, because he gives thanks to God, and whoever doesn’t eat (meat), does so to the Lord and thanks God.” (Romans 14:6)

“But why do you criticize a brother? Or you, why do you look down on a brother? For we will all stand at the judgment seat of God.” (Romans 14:10)

The Kingdom of God is about more than eating or drinking, doing this or doing that. Verse 17 goes on to say, “The Kingdom is about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Where is our joy in the Holy Spirit as followers of Jesus? It’s getting harder and harder to find, and it should not be that way, whether in good times or bad. Verse 19 says, “We must pursue (actively work for) what promotes peace and what builds up one another.”

What would the world look like if we lived that out more than we didn’t? There wouldn’t be nearly the number of arguments on or offline, especially not over trivial things.

Christians won't win souls by arguing online

Father God, I ask for forgiveness for your people (including myself) who’ve spent a lot of time arguing over the small stuff. This does not paint your Son in a positive light to the non-believers, and I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Teach us and encourage us on how to live out your Word and build one another up in love, even with everything going on around us. Jesus, you are the example of what it means to love our neighbors. Teach us how to live that out every day for the rest of our time on this Earth. Father, we ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen!”

I’ll leave you with Romans 15:7 – “Therefore, accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God.”

Amen?