Tags
balanced thinking, binary thinking, both/and, Christian Living, float, holiness, humility, nuance, sink, teachable
Even though my life hangs in the balance, I’ll keep following what you’ve taught me, no matter what. Psalm 119:109, TPT.
Maintaining accurate buoyancy in Scuba diving is vital to the quality and safety of your under-water experience. If you have too little weight, you will float to the surface and miss seeing the colorful reefs where the sea life thrives. On the other hand, if you have too much weight, you might sink to an unsafe depth that could lead to decompression sickness or death.
Unbalanced thinking leads to binary thinking that’s not healthy for a growing Christian. You risk skimming the surface or you sink and get stuck at the bottom of the ocean, unmovable and missing out on God’s best life for you when you limit your thinking.
We live in a world that is uncomfortable with uncertainty. We like everything to be black and white. You’re either a Republican or a Democrat, a rule follower or a rule breaker, a dog lover or a cat lover. We want things nice and neat; simple and clean. It makes us feel in control and secure. But that’s not how life works.
The Bible is very black and white on specific issues like the Trinity and salvation. You either believe and receive Jesus as Savior into your heart or you don’t. Some areas on living righteously before God are grey.
In Matthew 15, Jesus rebukes the Judea Pharisees for condemning his disciples for not observing their tradition of hand washing before meals. He knew they were missing the point. Tradition was not given for legalistic purposes, but to bring people into the presence of God.
Jesus then challenges the Pharisee’s to look at their transgression of refusing to honor their parents by declaring all their resources a gift to God. They used tradition to dishonor God’s command, suit their own purposes, and exalt themselves.
The tradition of holy communion is powerful for me because it reminds me of the restoration available to me through the blood Jesus shed on the cross. It builds my faith.
Tradition can be both bad and good when applied in certain ways. Discipleship is both easy and hard. The Kingdom of God is both now and future.
Balanced and healthy thinking comes from a humble, teachable heart that seeks God’s revelatory wisdom above all. We’ll be secure in truth when Jesus restores everything on earth as it is in heaven. In the meantime, we’re called to love God and people. This is what Jesus taught and modeled for us foremost.
Ponder: What have you always assumed to be true because you were simply taught it was right, or you read something into scripture that wasn’t there?
Pray: Holy Spirit lead me into all truth when I have questions. Give me scripture to back it up and a heart to understand your heart in the matter. Grow me up in my ability to think, feel, and act in union with your will.