The Lord's slave

The Lord's slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach and patient instructing his opponents with gentleness perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the truth.-2 Timothy 2:24-25

On Monday afternoons you will find me on the side of the road sharing tea, swapping stories and eating with a group of Muslim men. We discuss a variety of different subjects but the conversation always returns to Jesus. Muslims are fascinated with Jesus. Muslim men love to quarrel with me about theology and the claims of Christ. They want to argue about the sin nature of Adam being passed to humanity, they argue about Jesus being God's son, whether or not it was Jesus who died on the cross and if Jesus prophesied the coming of Mohammed. 

Usually I'm drawn into their arguments and begin to quarrel with them; however, God has begun to teach me the truth of 2 Timothy 2:24-25. God is teaching me that the Lord's slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach and patient instructing his opponents with gentleness perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the truth. My opponents may enjoy arguments and quarrels but I shouldn't be drawn into them. Instead I should respond to the verbal attacks of my opponents with gentleness and quiet instruction. I must pray that God will use my teaching to convict my opponents so that they accept the truth repent and are freed from the control of the devil. I must not argue or quarrel with these men but instead teach with gentleness and truth. Trusting that only the truth will make them free.