HOW & WHAT

HOW we do something often matters more than WHAT we do. 

• HOW we disagree with our parents, pastor, or elders
• HOW we confront a friend about ungodly behavior 
• HOW we comment on a website 
• HOW we comfort a friend who is hurting 
• HOW we deal with a "prickly person" 

Even if the principle is right, our method can be wrong. 

• Arrogance + discernment do not equal Biblical discernment.
• Bluntness + passion do not equal Biblical passion. 
• Rudeness + confrontation do not equal Biblical confrontation. 

Scripture tells us to have humble motives (Philippians 2:1-4), gracious speech (Colossians 4:6), and kind behavior (Ephesians 4:32, 5:15-16). Then we'll "do nothing from selfishness," we'll know "how to answer everyone," and we'll "make the most of every opportunity."

Bible Study 

1. There are lots of Christian websites that use sarcasm, mockery and arrogance in their teaching. I don't visit these sites. 

If they don't have the HOW right, I'm suspect of anything they have to say, especially if they are "exposing the errors" of other Christian teachers or speakers. 

If you want to check out errors, I recommend Christian Research Institute or Got Questions. You may differ with these sites on some non-essential doctrinal, denominational issues, but they have good solid research on a variety of subjects from a Biblical point of view (use their search tools). 

The salt of the Gospel should be combined with grace, not sarcasm and mockery: 
Colossians 4:6: Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 

2. Arrogance is perhaps the biggest problem with HOW. We can think our parents don't deserve honor even though God commands it. We can think we know the answers to our friend's problems even when we don't. We can think we have discernment when we simply have an ego problem. 

People who think they know it all, need to remember this parable: 
Luke 18:9-14: He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (ESV) 

copyright, Gail Burton Purath, 2015, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com
All Scripture NIV unless otherwise noted