Open Minded
When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2
But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3
Insight
I was in a yoga class a couple of months ago. Before we started, I was telling the lady next to me that I enjoyed the exercise, but as a Christian, I don’t subscribe to the new-age beliefs that the teacher shares during class. The lady smiled condescendingly and said, “Maybe you can be open-minded. All religions work together.”
Class started before I could offer a defensive retort like, “Well, it’s possible to be so open-minded that our brains fall out.”
There's a knowledge that puffs us up versus a love that builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). I had just met this lady, and if I had launched into a lecture right then, I would have lost her. Perhaps God is giving me time to earn the right to speak truth to her later by loving her in the present. I pray that as I am friendly to her, God will give me another chance to share the freeing, saving truth of the cross.
After all, it wasn’t that long ago that I had wrapped myself in the world’s prideful lies that made it easy to dismiss the fact that I needed a Savior:
“There are many paths to God.”
“People who do more good than bad will wind up in heaven.”
“Jesus may be real for you, but not for me.”
“Sin is a made-up concept used to make me feel guilty.”
“There is no absolute truth.” (Which, by the way, is an absolute statement!)
Isn’t the point of being open-minded so we can wrap our brains around the truth when we see it and hold on tight? Our brains are given to us to awaken our hearts; otherwise what difference is there between humans and computers?
When I finally dug deeper into Christianity, I discovered that the meaning and purpose I was searching for is only found in the context of my relationship with God. Loving Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and loving others as myself are God’s commands that allow me to be part of His plan to reconcile the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:11-20). What a privilege that is.
Reflection
What lies have you believed about God in the past?
As you get to know Him better through His Word, what truths have you discovered?
How has living for Christ affected your relationships with the people around you?
Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven, the world is full of vague, fluffy lies meant to distract us from the only truth that leads to a meaningful life here on earth and eternal life in heaven with You. Fill our hearts and minds with the truth of Your Son, who came here to rescue us from the sin we inherited from Adam. In Christ’s holy name we pray. Amen.
Port City writer Katy Davis wrote today's devotional.
