Sex. Sin. Social wrongs. These are just a few of the many topics of conversation we do our best to avoid. I mean, we do call them “uncomfortable” for a reason. But have you ever stopped to think that those things that we find the most uncomfortable to discuss are some of the issues that we have the most trouble with in our world?
Maybe the reason for this is because we are uncomfortable in discussing them that we are also afraid to adequately teach about them. We don’t want to offend or we’re afraid of what people might say or think of us. We don’t want to appear judgmental or out of touch. So we keep our mouths shut. Maintain the status quo. Go about our business.
It all kind of brings to mind a very uncomfortable conversation that Paul had to have on one occasion. In Galatians 2 he mentioned:
“But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” (vs. 11-14).
It must have been awkward for Paul to have to confront Peter about his hypocrisy. It would have been very easy for Paul to have just turned his head and never dealt with the problem. But what would that have accomplished outside of perpetuating the issue and condoning his actions? It had to have been a very uncomfortable conversation for him to have. But he did what he had to do. He pushed the awkward to the side and dealt with it.
We all have those same type of uncomfortable conversations, whether those mentioned above or others. And like Paul, we have two roads we can take in handling them. We can either bury the conversation or we can bury our lack of comfort with it and do what needs to be done. But let’s never let our own comfort or convenience dictate the responsibilities that we have before God!
-Andy Brewer