We
have all met the person who thinks that they are always right, and everyone who
disagrees with them is inherently wrong. Our need to be right is often fueled
by fears and insecurities from our past. If someone else is right, that means I
am wrong.
If
we dare to admit that we may be wrong, we will fall into an endless pit of doom
and despair. Therefore, we spend countless hours reading through tomes of
literature, which agree with our point-of-view. This gives us confidence in our
suppositions.
Most
of us naturally adopt varying convictions, preferences, opinions, theories,
etc. upon which we base our thoughts, words, beliefs and actions. Many times
our beliefs are in opposition of someone else's diligently researched
convictions, preferences, opinions, theories, etc.
This
causes strife in our relationships. Usually the person who persists the
longest, yells the loudest, or insists the most vehemently wins the
disagreement. However, we also lose possible friendships when we are not
willing to admit that someone else may also be right.
There
does not need to be one right opinion on matters, unless the Word of God
decisively and conclusively dictates it for us. How is it then that two
opposing worldviews may both be right?
Well,
the beauty of life is that we are all cut from different cloth. We have
different personalities, siblings, and parents, as well as various personal
experiences, influential family members, authors of our favorite books,
teachers and mentors upon which we base our beliefs.
In
the non-essential areas of life, we can agree to disagree and make peace with
our spouse and neighbor. We give one another the right to hold true to our own
preferences and convictions, and we do not expect or insist that others agree
with us.
However,
in Biblical essentials we do not abandon our convictions in order to keep peace
with those who disagree with God's Word. We do not force our beliefs on anyone
else, but we are not shy about standing firm in our convictions.
Prayer:
Father
God, remind us that on essential Biblical principles we hold fast with both
hands to Your truth and never let go. The Bible is our final authority of
belief and practice, and the essential areas of Biblical Truth are not
debatable, such as: the virgin birth of our Savior, Jesus as the only way to
heaven, we all inherited Adam's sin, the Bible is the inspired Word of God, salvation
is a free gift of grace by faith, etc.
Help
us to resist the politically correct movement in our world today. Humanisticly
speaking, these people have a hard time believing that You would allow anyone
to suffer the torments of hell for eternity. However, You do not condemn anyone
to hell. We condemn our self by our disbelief in Jesus' finished work of
redemption for us on Calvary's cross (John 3:18)
Thought
for the Day:
There
are many non-essential areas of our life, where God's Word does not
emphatically call something a sin, and we are graciously free to agree to disagree
with one another at the same time that we continue to maintain these
friendships and relationships.
