Not Full Acceptance

The way we speak, in some instances, may be more important than the words we speak.  We can
allow the Holy Spirit to shape the tone of how we communicate His truth. Ephesians 4 states:
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

What we say can be short-circuited by how we say it.  We are called to speak truth, but we are not called to have a spirit of anger or show animosity toward the people around us.  Jesus instructed us in John 16 to be of good cheer, even when we face tribulation.  We have the incredible opportunity to be known for the love that we show and the humility we demonstrate.  Certainly, we want people to come to know Christ, and that can be aided by our ability to show people we truly love them as He loves.

+++++

Colossians chapter 4 speaks to the importance of communicating effectively, contending for the truth, but speaking it in a manner that glorifies God and wins hearts. We can read:
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

A new survey, conducted in correlation with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots that are seen as the launching of the modern-day LGBTQ movement by the pro-gay group, GLAAD, has some news that may not make that group, well, glad.

A Christian Post story says:

According to The Accelerating Acceptance report, conducted by The Harris Poll for the LGBT advocacy group GLAAD, survey respondents who were in the 18–34 age bracket reported that they were much less tolerant of LGBT men and women than they were in surveys taken the previous two years.

The story notes, "Young people ages 18-34 were the only age group to see a decline in positive feelings toward LGBT individuals."  Some specifics:

Forty-five percent of young respondents who do not identify as LGBT indicated that they were either "somewhat" or "very" comfortable around LGBT persons, a decrease from 53 percent in 2017 and 63 percent in 2016.

Over the last two years, the percentage of "young non-LGBT repondents" who said they "are somewhat or very uncomfortable learning that their child had been taught a lesson on LGBT history in school" increased from 27 percent to 39 percent. And, in that same group 33 percent said, "they were uncomfortable having a teacher who is LGBT;" that's up from 25 percent in 2016.
Interestingly enough, adults 72 and up indicated they were "less comfortable with LGBT history being taught in schools," but, according to the data, "their level of discomfort with LGBT persons decreased from 47 percent in 2017 to 37 percent in 2018."

So, why the decline among young people, the millennials who are supposed to be soooo tolerant?  John Stonestreet, in a recent Breakpoint commentary, said:

Of course, the question of the hour is, why would younger Americans be increasingly uncomfortable with this movement that is supposed to be historically inevitable? Well I’d suggest, to borrow a phrase, it might have something to do with “overplaying your hand.”

He points out that GLAAD and others may have been anticipating full acceptance, but there are factors contributing to the opposite actually taking place. Stonestreet says:

I can think of at least a few ways in which this intolerance of anything less than full celebration has taken form. One is the consistent bullying by LGBTQ advocates of perceived foes. Young people dislike bullies. And Jack Phillips has been bullied. Barronelle Stutzman has been bullied. Any student who dares open their mouths in support of traditional sexual morality or gender norms, or even questions any extreme of the movement on any “woke” campus knows what it means to be bullied.

Stonestreet also points out that the addition of the "T" and "Q" in LGBTQ has not been productive for the movement.  He states this:

Back when it was just an LGB movement, we were told that what happens in the privacy of one’s bedroom is no one else’s business. Those days are long gone. Today, “tolerance” means supporting “drag queen story hours” at public libraries for children. And the demands don’t stop there. In a recent article in Medium, an author insisted that anyone who won’t date or sleep with a transgendered person is a “transphobe.”

So, it's clearly not about mere acceptance or being left alone to love who you want to love, is it?  The bullying tactics of many in the so-called LGBTQ movement have perhaps worn a bit thin.  That can relate a lesson to us about the consequences of overplaying your hand.   Taking an extra victory lap.  Yes, many regard Obergefell as a victory, but have used that as a springboard to force others to adopt their point of view.  As Christians, we have to be confident in the power of God and superiority of our ideas, but we should never use the Scriptures or our devotion to Christ as a tool to beat people over the head - we can speak truth and do so boldly, but we have to be careful that we don't overplay our own hands.

We can be encouraged to resist temptation to underplay.  Fear of speaking truth can be harmful as well; we have to make sure we are not intimidated in seeking to live out our faith.  Jesus warned about keeping our lights hidden - He wants to shine through us, and we are called to exhibit His presence.

Finally, we rejoice in the power of love - God's love, expressed in mercy and compassion.  And, as it's been said, the most loving thing you can do for someone is to tell him or her the truth.  We want to be people of truth, who communicate it in a winsome and attractive way.