In high school, I used to love going to www.askJeeves.com asking questions to see what his answers were. In college, I’d just type my questions in Google. Over the past few years, I’d ask Siri or Alexa if I’m asking verbally, or I’ll ask Google Gemini if I’m typing.
Now, AI is not a Christian, nor does it have the ability to become a Christian, but it does have the ability to dish out some biblical advice. In this season of life, I’m establishing my faith based on what I really, really believe and not what my parents, my preacher, authors or people on Podcasts believe. (1 Peter 3:15-17)
This faith stretching study has become active in my life after several revelations. I’m a chameleon personality, so I have a bad habit of putting people on pedestals and adopting their ideas when I’m around them. But now that I’m basing my entire life on God’s foundations of Truth, the revelation of “all people are still people,” reminds me that no one is perfect. Every person has flaws (Romans 3:23). As awesome as my momma is, she still makes mistakes. As courageous as we read that Elijah was, he still struggled with depression and anxiety. Your heart should remain guarded unless you're reading the words of God, Himself.
It’s easy to give an account to those who are morally different from you. It’s fairly easy to give an account to those who are of a different religion than you. It’s kinda difficult to give an account to those who are of a different denomination than you, and it’s really uncharted territory to give an account to those who are in your congregation but disagree with your account. Christ prayed for God’s people to be unified the weekend He was crucified. So if He’s requesting it, God will help us navigate through it.
This is where Google Gemeni AI came into play. The question I asked to Google was: HOW DO YOU GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR CONGREGATION WHO HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS THAN YOU?
Here was the top suggestions with my own added biblical evidence:
Respect their beliefs. Listen to their beliefs and learn about where they are coming from, even if you disagree with them. These beliefs are important to them for a specific reason. Is that reason to produce fruit for the Kingdom? Is it for a selfish preference? Do we really know their reasoning at all? It’s important not to criticize or sway their opinion in any way while you’re listening to them. There is time for teaching and correcting one another wisely. We do that with our life’s example and our gratitude (Colossians 3:16).
Be humble. Put others before yourself and try to love them with the unconditional love of Christ. Paul is an awesome example of someone who loved the difficult by reminding himself and the people around him of his past life of sin. (Acts 22:1-5). We have a season in our lives when we were selfish, prideful, controlling and manipulative in order to get what we wanted. Approach your brother and sister with knowledge of this season before you converse.
Be open to understanding. It’s so difficult to be open minded while also guarding your heart, but it is possible. Jesus was able to enter conversations with false teachers, harlots, demons, and even Satan, himself, with an open heart to understand the struggle of the suffering soul deep down, but He kept His heart guarded with the scriptures of Truth so that He could identify the difference between Words of God and the words of man’s desires.
Be patient. Don’t jump at every slight error. No one has ever been converted by the Theology Police. Jesus didn’t teach this way. He allowed the Good Samaritan woman the opportunity to speak before He convicted her. He waited until she was ready to receive His words of Truth before He gently spoke them to her. We also read of the prodigal son’s father waiting patiently with the party planning committee while the son was trying to get out of his own way to come back to the Truth.
Be relational. You can respect someone’s interpretation in love without agreeing with their views in acceptance. Ephesians 4:2 tells us how to love one another in a relationship. This isn’t the way the world loves, based on people pleasing or accepting their ideas for “peace.” Paul gives us 4 steps of how to love one another; in humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Of course, the greatest is love. Remember, relational love is not a feeling or an emotion. It’s taking actions for the benefit of another; it’s a choice.
Be aware of your own anxiety. A lot of times, we tend to avoid association with those that agree differently with us amongst our brothers and sisters. But we’re called to be the light. It’s important to identify that anxiety you feel before the two of you converse. Pray to the Giver of strength.
Set up Boundaries when necessary. Now, boundaries are very biblical. If the teaching of this brother or sister is false against God’s commands, then it is sin. (Proverbs 30:5-6). We are told in Proverbs 26:4, “Do not engage with fools, as you may become like them.” Jesus evangelized with sinners, but he engaged with His followers—those who believed Him and were willing to turn from their lives of sin.
Be assertive. It may be the case that your brother or sister is asking requests of you that don’t go along with the biblical guidelines God or your eldership has set into place. You’ve established your faith based on God’s Truths. Make your decisions based on that. Be assertive, not passive. Be assertive, not aggressive.
Don’t allow disrespect. Matthew 5:39 is so often misunderstood. Jesus is not preaching that you should be a punching bag, but instead, Christians should not return evil for evil. Vengeance is not ours. Jesus says we must enter conversations and situations with the potential of harmful battles against our faith with the right equipment for battle (Luke 22:36). Just remember, the battle isn’t yours. (Romans 12:19-21).
Follow Christ’s Example. Matthew chapter 18 is full of some good Jesus guidance on this topic. He starts out with addressing the hypothetical dangerous scenario of the person you disagree with tempting you with teachings against the Holy Word. You can read verses 6-9 for that reality check. But when you skim on down to verse 15, He lays out the perfect step by step plan for how you should address someone who disagrees with your lifestyle and straight up sins against you. During this process, refrain from judgment. Your goal is to be righteous, not right.
In John 17:23 Jesus prays to God, “I will be with them, just as you are in me. This is so that they may be brought together perfectly as one.” Jesus’s Spirit lives in us to demonstrate perfect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control as one unit. One body. One church. We can’t have controversial conversations with others by ourselves. We need help from the Spirit. It’s time we get out of our own way and produce fruit for the Kingdom.
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