Latest / Prayer Before Work / Political Arguments Keep Breaking Out at My Office - Prayer Before Work
Transcript
- Sean Graver: Now you're not against people having opinions. You actually respect passion about things that matter. But lately the workplace conversations have gotten loud, tense, maybe even a little uncomfortable. Coworkers going back and forth on political topics with with a little more heat than you're used to hearing before lunchtime. But you're not sure whether to jump in, change the subject, or just refill your coffee. And walk away from all the noise. Well, my name is Sean, and welcome back to Prayer Before Work. James gives some pretty practical advice for moments like this in the book of James, chapter one, verse 19. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. I think that order is important. I mean, quick to hear comes first. So before you form your response, before you decide whether to engage or walk away, James is asking you to actually listen to what's being said enough and why it matters to that person saying it. So it's okay to have a boundary here. you don't owe every conversation your participation, especially one that's escalating past a level that you're comfortable with. But slow to speak, that might mean simply not adding your own opinion to an already heated exchange. And slow to anger? Well that might mean not letting someone else's passion pull you into feeling defensive or irritated on their behalf. And if you do engage, aim for genuine curiosity instead of debate. Asking a real question instead of just making a a counterpoint argument. And if the room is just too charged for that, it's completely fine to step out and let the moment pass without you in it. So let's pray. God help us stay level headed in conversations that get more heated than we're comfortable with and and give us the wisdom to know when to listen, when to speak and and when to simply step away. keep us from getting pulled into anger that wasn't Ours to carry in the first place, and help us treat people with respect, even when we see things differently. In Jesus' name, amen. Now go make today count.