Arguing With Pigs

Have you ever met an individual who seems to think they know everything there is to know about everything? Of course this is ignorance, because only God is omniscient. He knows all there is to know, because He is the one who masterfully created all we know, in one form or another. Even that which is evil was at one point created in another form before it became corrupted.

1 John 3:18-20 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Of course none of us know it all, even the know-it-alls! Yet, those who believe to have such knowledge still need to be brought to the knowledge of Christ because believing you’re intelligent does not mean you are immune to the consequences of being wrong.

Pig: Insult or Compliment?

This may seem surprising, but pigs are actually one of the smartest animals in existence. If you were to call someone a “pig”, you might actually be giving them a compliment. They are considered to be one of the smartest animals on the planet. They have excellent cognitive abilities, have their own special language of squeals and oinks that they use to communicate with one another, are highly social to the extent that if you put a group of pigs together, they will form specific bonds with other pigs. Kind of like choosing who they want their “best friend” to be. In studies, they were also demonstrated to have self-awareness at around two weeks, which is faster than human children, and in a controlled setting, they have even shown the capability of playing simple video games by interacting with a screen while they push a joystick with their snout. That’s pretty smart!

Pigs Who Don’t Care…

As Christians, we are called to share the gospel with others. It doesn’t matter who they are or how they identify themselves. They are loved by God and He would have them come to knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). Unfortunately, even if someone is intelligent, it doesn’t necessarily mean they care. Actually, that may be why they choose not to care. They’re so caught up in what their mind is telling, that their heart isn’t open to what they need to hear. So what do we do? How do we reach them?

Well, you don’t. At least, just not yet. You are called to share, but the person needs to be willing to accept your words. If they’re putting up a wall, then their heart isn’t to that point yet. The best thing you can do is keep it peaceful, so that when the time comes that they are willing to listen, a seed has been planted by your testimony that they might be willing to listen to you, or whoever else God might have prepared to share with them.

Matt 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

When we are told not to “cast our pearls before swine”, it’s from when Jesus shared the Sermon on the Mount, and this section is actually about judgment. But judgment can be two-sided. It can be how we view others in a circumstance, but also how they are perceiving us.

When you are preaching the gospel, the other individual may not value your pearls. They may even try to harass or argue with you. The value of your testimony isn’t established by arguing. It’s by simply walking away. You see, with the swine, the value of the pearls never changes. They’re still valuable pearls. The swine just aren’t interested in them…yet. This is why you walk away.

Matt 10:13-14 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

Final Thought

I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who values being wrong. We all want to feel like our thoughts and belief are valid. Not only to ourselves but others. But this is a two-way street. When you’re sharing with others, their beliefs also come into play. Getting into arguments or debates isn’t likely to help the encounter. You’ll likely end up in a tug-o-war match, with two people trying to convince each other their way is best. However, if someone is willing to listen to you, and their heart is at the point where it is open to learning about Jesus and how He died for our sins, then that is a good time. It becomes sharing instead of arguing. Just like pigs can be social and form bonds, this is exactly where you need to be with them, because when they accept Jesus into their heart and their life, they’re being brought into the church, which is made up of believers who share a spiritual bond through Jesus Christ. Thank you for reading and God bless.