I Feel Like When I Stand my Ground, I’m Being Rude
By Editorial Staff
Finding personal courage can be something that people find difficult, especially in today’s culture. It is so easy to be told what to do and how to think, and that what you are doing and how you are thinking is wrong or rude if it goes against a popular idea. Standing alone can be undesirable, but standing up for yourself and what you believe in is something that should be celebrated.
However, it is important to realize that having a less popular idea doesn’t mean you have the best idea, and that your actions do have consequences. Whether your stance is something that is acceptable or rude is something that will always depend on the context of the situation.
Consider your audience. Are you saying something that will help or hurt them? Will they be inspired to live better lives in the long run? Is this worth fighting over? Your feelings matter, but you have to pick your battles. If you insist on standing your ground, do so with a loving heart and a clear conscience.
If you can share your point of view without disrespecting anyone, you’re not being rude. If you’re worried that someone will feel disrespected, because they would feel unappreciated or lied to, consider talking to a neutral party. They might be able to suggest a way to bring up the issue in a less hurtful way.
All that aside, it is important to stand your ground on issues you believe in. Worrying about being rude should only be a consideration in terms of how you stand your ground, not in whether or not you should in the first place.
When you find the strength to stand up for what you believe in, it can seem like you are being mean because you are taking away the mat that people have grown used to walking over. That, however, is not being rude; that is a problem they never should have created for themselves. Taking care of yourself is a priority.
Being a Christian really showcases that aspect of life because we are called to not have ourselves as our first priorities. We are called to serve others, and not return anger with anger. Sometimes, we can confuse these calls with not being allowed to defy anyone ever. The only one that we can’t defy is God; anyone else can be defied if it’s for a godly reason.
If someone wants you to participate in sin, stand your ground. If someone wants something more ambiguous, like to not take their fair share of chores, standing your ground also gets more uncertain. Reflect on what Jesus would do. Would He approve of their activity continuing unchecked? Would He want you to live in that state? Would He be satisfied with the future this activity is leading everyone towards?
Sometimes, standing your ground will be seen as being rude, so ultimately every time you will have to make the choice you can live with. In the end, what matters is how Jesus sees you, not how those you stand against do
