When to Speak?

There are many situations, and many people, who confront me with ideas or actions that I do not agree with. Recently I have been considering the questions such as: "When is it wrong to be silent?", "What are good motives for remaining silent?", "When is it my duty to speak?". Those who know me may find it hard to believe that I often choose not to speak up, but it is true nonetheless!

Two areas I always try to speak on, if confronted with them, are the gospel and abortion. I consider it a duty of love, or a moral imperitive, to speak truth on these topics. The eternal souls of people, and the lives of the innocent, are more imporant than my comfort zones. Sometimes I have talked too much about life issues like abortion. There is a balance here, which I pray God will help me achieve. It is harmful to go on about things too much, but if someone does raise the topic it is important to speak truth.

In many other areas, I wonder if my failure to speak is simply selfishness. When an opponent of predestination asked me if I believed it, I told him he'd have to work it out for himself. Was this a choice not to get into a bothersome conflict, considering only my own peace of mind? Or was it a realisation that considering my own experience of vehmently rejecting predestination and then embracing it as Biblical, this topic is best left up to the work of the Holy Spirit?

When a lady declared to me that a wife's duty to submit to her husband was not a biblical teaching, was my choice to simply say "I don't hold that view, but I understand your perspective" diplomatic or a failure to defend God's word? Perhaps it was both.

There are matters that are less important than others, and we do need to choose our battles. The Scriptures have nothing positive to say about quarrelsome people. Yet our motives for avoiding battle need to be considered. Personal comfort is not a worthy one.