“Don’t Make It Personal”
Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
But a man of understanding remains silent.”
-Proverbs 11:12
In the last post we looked at the question: “How can I be more mature when I talk to people online?”
The answer in summary—Don’t make it personal, painful, demanding, or rude. Today the first point—Don’t make it personal.
Forums are for critiquing thoughts, not thinkers.
“Don’t Make It Demanding”
A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
But a wise man quietly holds it back.
-Proverbs 29:11
An immature person makes too many demands on others.
In a forum there are several things I find too demanding. You may have a different opinion. It depends on the context and the relationship. But if you think you may be too demanding—ask.
It takes a lot to create a blog or website, but Christian leaders know it’s worth it.
I’m really excited about today’s post: this week 20 of my favorite Christian bloggers emailed me their reasons for writing! Some have a large following; others are just getting started. Combined, they reach over 200,000 email subscribers and the same number of twitter followers. These men and women inspire me with their high-quality content and their heart for spreading Christ’s message.
I know you’ll benefit from what they have to say. As you read through their words, envision what you too could do with an online platform.
Recently I surveyed a group of my Christian friends and asked, “What is one part of Christian life you wish were easier?”
Thirty people responded, offering insight into their spiritual experience. I reformulated their responses as basic questions about the Christian life. They center on ten topics:
In discussing events and ideas, I’ve found that some people don’t work at all to bridle their tongues.
But other people work hard to put a bridle on anyone ELSE’s tongue that they disagree with (often by the method of quickly jumping to tone policing).
James shows us the right way. We bridle our OWN tongues:
