Jeremiah
If being right is most important, listening may be a lost cause. There is a cost for preferring stubbornness to sensitivity, opinion to grace. For isn’t it true that there still remain churches:
· Where a black man is not welcome in a white man’s sanctuary.
· Who reject your baptism experience because you were not "dunked" by a doctrinally-correct (DC) clergyman
· Where drums, saxaphones, guitars and trombones have no place because they are instruments of the devil
· Where the preacher dare not exceed thirty minutes or the service has gone too long
· Where the visitor had better not sit in
· Split because a Calvinist will not worship with an Arminian
· That will not adequately pay their pastor because "God’s servants should be humble (translation—poor!)
· That will not share the good news for fear newcomers would "ruin" their already comfortable fellowship
Dogmatism comes with a price. We become critical of others. Love is replaced by law. Views take precedence over vision. Rather than focus on growing in godliness we become centered on chapter and verse. The world of course sees all this with the result that our dogmatism is a great stumbling block. Consequently, we will stand accountable before God for hindering people from finding His Son.
When we focus our attention on God, He rewards us by giving us the wisdom to understand what cannot be compromised versus what is nonessential. We discover that what is paramount is not how much we know but Who we know! Are you afraid to be wrong? Is that fear coming from the Lord or from pride? The former instills discernment with humility the latter produces stubbornness and a brittle demeanor.
Inspiration
