Dear Father, In an attempt to please You and have my life reflect Christ and the teachings of Scripture, I try to avoid unnecessary arguments. Sometimes, it becomes difficult because some disagreements are both necessary and unavoidable. And sadly, there is more to disagreements than necessity--there is also the disposition, thought pattern, and maturity of the opposing party. Paul advises Timothy in his epistle: “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” How then do we respond in situations that are unavoidable and with people who are unreasonable? How do we communicate the need for flexibility to a person who is obstinate, especially in times where flexibility would bring greater efficiency? How do we maintain peace in the midst of people who are intentional about causing trouble? The issue, sadly, goes beyond what can be achieved solely by upholding high, godly standards of peace and unity, because unity is often the result of agreement. So, in practicing the difficult work of peace in the midst of conflict, we must also consider others. Strangely, peace is not confined to silence and silence is not always the language of peace, and a balance is necessary--that in upholding peace, we do not withhold truth, and in communicating truth, we remain mindful of human frailty. This is difficult, Father. I pray for wisdom. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #peace #disagreement #conflict #balance