You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you.

Oftentimes the best way forward is to yield. In a time filled with war, subversion, lies, and wickedness, it is tempting to be a bull in a china shop. There may be a time for such a thing, but it usually isn’t the first nor only approach one has at his disposal.

Specifically in personal conflicts, and speaking as one who battles anger and complaining, I have found the application of yielding to be incredibly powerful and effective, all with an efficient use of energy no less.

“Yielding” here sometimes calls for silence. Sometimes it calls for ruthless and unfeigned kindess. Other times it calls for just enough back-and-forth to let your opponent fall by his own momentum and by his own accord.

What I’m not referring to is being a doormat, thinking that weakness is a virtue, being unable to defend one’s self or his family, letting your company become converged, or not being frank and upfront with someone with a Loving Slap of Discipline™ when it is called for.

After all, the Man I just quoted flipped over tables and made a cord of whips to drive out the merchants from the temple, and He also called out the corrupt religious elite in public.

Now, the immature and cowardly will see this and yield when it is inappropriate to, seeing it as a way to rationalize their vices rather than another tool in the toolkit that must be wielded wih prudence and practice. Worse, they will think of themselves as crafty and hidden even though everyone around them can see through their obnoxious pretenses.

There are times, many in fact, that arguing back-and-forth is useless (depending on your goals, of course), that trying to “correct” someone is worse than useless, it is irritating. And if one is compelled to do so solely out of a desire to not appear weak or a ‘cuck’, that one is given over to his flesh and only shows he really does care about how other people think about him, people he has not seen nor heard in real life despite any protests to the contrary.

And so a proper application of yielding is helpful in killing the ego and in reorienting one’s self toward the Way that is Christ Jesus:

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

And:

A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

Easier said than done, of course, but nothing that has any right to be called a “Discipline” should ever be considered “easy”.