Proverbs 15:1-4 (NKJV)
This scripture really came in handy this last week, let me tell you why. I am enrolled in a biology class this semester with the focus on human sexuality. The class has been very rewarding in regards to learning different aspects of the body, the changes it goes through, and the different circumstances that effect men and women. The class is taught by two instructors; one for the biology portion and the other for the psychology portion. I am now on the psych part, and one of my assignments required me to do a discussion board with the rest of my class on the topic of gender roles and sexual orientation. The instructor wanted to know if I believed a person could choose their sexual orientation (whether they liked men or women or both) and also if it could be proven that people had no choice over the matter, should gay people be able to marry.
I hope you've caught on to my dilemma and frustration at this assignment. I know some of you haven't. I know you're thinking this is a great opportunity to tell my professor and all my classmates what I believe God has to say on the subject. To retell the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, to talk about the creation of Adam and Eve, and to argue the moral, spiritual, judgment implications the believer knows about this very topic. But, I did not do that. I believed more than ever it was a time for me to be silent. And I mean very quiet. So much so that I had considered taking a 0 for the assignment.
I know you are asking the screen why right now, but it is because of this very scripture that I gave the following answer:
"Respectfully, I have no opinion I wish to share at this time."
I did not feel there was anything to profit from answering those questions and I highly suspect that someone in my class would have been offended with my answer. God is wise and he wants us to be wise too. First of all, it's a science class, so there is a predisposition to believing what you can prove as opposed to my position of faith. Secondly, I was not ministering to someone at that moment, so there was no need to throw my beliefs all over the place if it would not profit the Kingdom of God to do so. Moreover, I go back to the scripture about casting your pearls before the swine; the Word of God is very precious to me and I'll never put it out there to be debated or examined just because. Thirdly, I have a spirit of discernment and I never want to offend who God may allow me to draw one day. So it a nutshell, now was not the time.
This scripture really helped me not to skip the assignment. I felt God wanted me to give a soft answer and maybe this would help the instructor remove this assignment for future classes and show my classmates that just because you have the opportunity to speak doesn't mean we should always take it. We should always be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14) and follow peace (Hebrews 12:14) as much as we can. I pray this helps someone and blesses you real good.
