Do Christians have to give up their rights in order to maintain their Christian testimony? That is becoming an increasingly important question, and it affects our lives in matters large and small.

AT ISSUE

A young wife writes: I've been trying to share Jesus with the family in the apartment next to ours. However, they have a habit of playing their stereo late and loud.

I need to talk to them about the noise problem but am concerned it will affect my witness. How should I handle this?

OUR INSIGHT

Jesus told us the "meek" were special people (Matthew 5:5), so we often let people walk all over us. But the reality is that our meekness should be directed to Jesus, and not particularly to the people of this world.

When we are meek -- that is, have a spirit of gentleness in our relationship with Jesus -- then all spiritual possibilities open to us. However, there are times when we need to assert ourselves with others and there is no need to feel guilty about it.

In a kind spirit tell your neighbors that the loud music is having a bad effect on you and your family. Tell them you need the volume down a couple notches all the time and the stereo off completely by some reasonable hour.

Most people will be happy to comply. If they are apologetic, invite the people over for coffee, as the Lord may be using this event for you to develop a relationship.

If they do not comply, then you should ask them politely again, but never bang on walls or make threats or use foul language or any of those types of things.

Finally, you should ask them why they are forcing you to report them to the management or the police when you really don't want to do that. If they have no answer you have no choice but to take appropriate action.

Even Jesus overturned some tables when provoked (Matthew 21:12).

Will you lose all opportunity to witness to these people? Well, first you may discover they are already Christians. But if not, you must leave that matter to Jesus. The Lord wants peace for us (John 14:27) in our daily lives and sometimes that has a price which only He knows and understands.

-DLH