Winning People, Not Arguments

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

July 5th Sermon, Day 3

There is a temptation that is especially strong right now. It is the temptation to be right. To win the debate. To score the point. And honestly, sometimes it feels justified, especially when someone has been unkind or unfair to you. But here is the hard truth. You can win an argument and lose a person at the same time. You can be completely correct and still push someone further from Jesus in the process.

Paul understood this tension deeply. He had every reason to argue, to defend himself, to fight back. Instead, his heart was fixed on one question: how can they come to know Jesus? That question changed everything about how he responded to opposition. Kindness does something that a perfectly crafted argument never can. It creates curiosity.

Grace opens doors that logic alone cannot unlock. When someone sees you respond to hostility with patience and genuine care, they start asking questions they did not know they had. Your goal was never to defeat the people around you. It is to see them redeemed. That shift in perspective, from winning to loving, is one of the most freeing things you can experience. You are not called to be a debater. You are called to be a witness. And the most compelling testimony is a life that looks like Jesus.

Bible Verse

"Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved." - Romans 10:1

Reflection Question

Is there a relationship in your life where you have been focused on being right rather than being redemptive? What would it look like to shift your goal from winning to loving?

Quote

"We can win debates and lose people, right? We can score points online, but actually push people farther away from Christ."

Prayer

God, forgive me for the times I have cared more about being right than about the person in front of me. Redirect my heart toward what actually matters: seeing people come to know You. Amen.