I picked up and modified this helpful rubric:
- Fight for what is right (truth).
- Argue for what will work (tactics).
- Keep quiet about everything else (preference).
Fight for the God-given biblical principles, argue for how to put them into practice, and just leave all the personality or preference issues up to each person to work out for themselves. I can hesitate on preference—in a meeting, I can even back down on my view of tactics—but I must never back down on truth.
I’ve found this very helpful in my thinking about ministry. It is helpful to know what sort of discussion I am having. Truths and strategies must be separated very clearly and not confused. It is only when a ministry team can be totally committed to the same truths that they can have healthy and positive disagreements and discussions about tactics.
It’s also helpful in applying the Bible: fight for what the Bible is actually saying, argue how to apply it, and just leave room for those issues about which the Bible is not explicit.
Maybe you have heard of another way of putting it. Maybe you can think of other examples. Maybe you disagree with what I have said. After all, we have to work out whether what I have just said reflects biblical truth or whether it is just a tactic for handling discussions.
