Dealing With Disagreements - Teen Tuesday

Would you consider yourself musical? Do you enjoy streaming your favorite artist online? I love music and concerts. Maybe it’s because in junior high school, I played the violin in the orchestra. I like to think that I played fairly well and made a pos­itive contribution to the group and everyone listening in the audience.

But what if I hadn’t spent hours practicing my violin? What do you think would have happened if I’d grabbed my new school-issued instrument, plopped down in a chair on the concert stage, and started playing with the other members? What a racket I would have made! What squeaks, screeches, squawks, and scratches the audience would have endured!

Harmonizing

Playing in harmony in any setting, whether on a sports team, in a band, with a drama club…or in a friendship requires learning the proper techniques. And it demands time as you practice, practice, and practice!

As a new school year begins, you’ll see old friends and probably make some new ones too. In any friendship, we have the opportunity to be encouraging or to say hurtful things. How we speak to our friends will help or hurt our relationships.

Hurting or Helping?

Here’s one thing I’d suggest to you about commu­nicating with your friends, especially if you’ve had a fight:

• Don’t just plop down in the chair next to them and blurt out thoughtless or insensitive words.
• Don’t post on social media about your argument.
• Don’t text or message your friend mean or unkind comebacks or memes.
• And don’t talk about it with other friends.

Instead take the time to prepare your heart and your words. Pray about your timing, tone, and topics. Talk with your mom or dad and seek their wisdom about how to handle this situation. Ask God for help with godly discipline over the thoughts of your heart and the words of your mouth as in Psalm 19:14:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Make it your aim to create harmony in your friendships, especially during a disagreement. Seek to do an excellent job of verbalizing your heart in a godly way and with godly wisdom. Just as you practice for your sports team or music club, put an effort and take the time to learn—and apply—God’s rules for talking with your friends. You’ll be glad you did.

RESPOND

Dear Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES 

A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart—With over 500,000 copies sold, this classic helps teenagers to live God in their everyday life. Gift a copy of this biblically-encouraging book to your daughter to help her navigate school.

REFLECT

Make a plan now to how you will respond to your friends when you disagree.

REMEMBER

Make it your aim to create harmony in your friendships.