Tag Archives: 2 Corinthians 4:18

day 2426: Disagreements

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

Inevitably, there are going to be disagreements between co-workers, managers and subordinates, CEOs and boards, suppliers and customers, etc.  There is no way around it, but disagreements don’t have to be always negative in nature. I remember studying about Alfred Sloan, who ran General Motors (and who subsequently has had prestigious business schools and leadership programs named after him) saying that if he had 100% agreement from his board he would not move forward with whatever was being proposed, because it meant to him that the idea or proposal was not risky enough or that they weren’t pushing their thinking fully.  Imagine that we could be so comfortable in who we are that a disagreement would come as a good thing, not the stress, frustration and worrying that we usually will feel?

Sometimes trying to piece together what a person from the Bible was like on a day-to-day basis is like trying to read a play or a movie script and imagine how we would bring to life that character. The Apostle Paul is one of those studies that we can spend a lifetime trying to understand the complexities and depth of who he was. One thing for sure was that Paul didn’t have any problem speaking bluntly (at least through his letters) and didn’t shy away from disagreements. But, he always made sure those disagreements, or challenges, came with a vision of the outcome and the positive and eternal impact of reconciling all things back to the Lord.  We are going to disagree on much, but let’s not forget that what we truly are to strive for is to gain agreement on the saving love and grace with which we can experience.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 4:18 (New Living Translation)