I’ve been thinking all week what to write about and hadn’t come up with a firm thought until I went out for a prayer walk today, but wanted to post so my readers wouldn’t think I’ve forgotten them. I will get back to the topic of peace next week, but want to ramble a bit today, though there is a bit about peace intertwined. Do you ever feel like you just want to let your mind wander and see where it stops? That can be a bad thing if it wanders into unwholesome or immoral thoughts. But sometimes letting your mind wander a bit can be a good thing—in my opinion. It’s actually how I came to write some of the posts on my old blog.
This week I’ve been sorting through some of the thoughts I’ve been having on various subjects as well as technical issues with devices. As these thoughts came through my mind, I’m reminded of the verse:
“We demolish arguments and every pretension
that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,
and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ.”
II Corinthians 10:5, NIV
One of the things that has been on my mind for a long time is false teaching which is anything that does not hold true to the Word of God. That includes being supportive of those who are teaching things contrary to the Word of God. I won’t go into specifics here because I don’t want to offend anyone nor start or fuel an argument. I’ve been part of too many different churches and some of them held to things that I disagreed with. In one sense that is OK as that is why there are different churches, kind of like the old saying different strokes for different folks. BUT if the teaching is not grounded in the Bible and things are supported that are not in line with the whole of God’s Word, then that’s not OK. II Corinthians Paul has a lot to say about false teaching and how it was affecting the churches and the believers in those churches.
I had a friend who’s now with the Lord who awoke within me the need to be discerning and openly questioning when things don’t appear to be kosher in my understanding of God’s Word. Some years ago I also was challenged by a Christian organization who I wanted to volunteer with but they had a different stance on a particular doctrinal statement than the one I grew up believing. I had to do a lot of searching and studying to determine from God’s Word which one was true, and ultimately realized that what I grew up believing was incorrect. That in turn made me question other beliefs and practices…but that’s a good thing if it is to get into God’s Word and be sure of your foundation in the faith.
The thoughts that have troubled me these last few weeks are more for Christians and their beliefs than those who don’t know the Lord at all. Just as I did, we grow up believing certain things, following or avoiding certain practices, and trusting certain authors and speakers as truth. But what do we do with that when those things are challenged? Do we defend it and go on believing as we always have without even considering new views? Or are we willing to take a step back and look into it further? What if our eternal future depends on it???
When I hear or read something that doesn’t sound right to me, I need to check it out, especially if I have no peace about it. If I’m wrong, I dismiss it and move past it, but if I find it is not true to God’s Word, then I need to reject it. Too many people are so entrenched and comfortable in believing that because so-and-so said it, it must be true, and are not willing to even check out evidence that there might be a Biblical issue at stake.
I’ve downloaded a lot of free books on the Kindle app that looked like they were Christian, the title grabbed my attention, and in some cases the publisher was even one that I respected and trusted; but as I started to read (sometimes even getting halfway through the book), flags started flying in my brain to alert me that something was amiss. After checking the issue out, I removed the book and never finished it. I don’t want to allow my thinking to be infiltrated by things that aren’t true no matter how good they sound. It’s not just a book—it’s thoughts going into your brain that may lodge there and mislead you.
So today let my rambling thoughts flow through your thoughts and see if there is anything you need to revisit with a new viewpoint and the truths from the Bible. Don’t let it slide by and ignore it…that’s not peace. If you give Satan an inch, he’ll take a foot. If you let one little thing slide by, you may be opening yourself up to other subtle things that take you farther and farther away from truth…and peace.
Don’t be the one who says I don’t see anything wrong with…and continue on in the thoughts and beliefs you have. Be the one who says I’m not sure if that’s true, but let me look into it.