But I think I changed my mind... this is Prairie Chick's comment
I just convicted about writing that after having made a conscious decision last year to not discuss this topic ever again with other people based on Romans 14:22 "your beliefs about these things should be kept secret between you and God" (and the whole chapter). I think this is something we should all shut up about because the more we talk about it, the more damage appears to be done. having said that, can you please delete my earlier post? Thanks!
okay, I am a little confused by the post. I did not know that scripture meant to not talk about your decisions with people? Does it? If it does mean that than I feel convicted too and will try to not do it in the future. But I sometimes work things out by chatting with people! Dont you? The point being we shouldnt chat with people we should look at the Word and find the truth for ourselves???? Wow, I just wonder if that is what it means and I will be pondering about this for awhile!
I am not convinced the scripture means this and there might be a hitch to it, like dont discuss it with unbelievers? dont discuss it with a foolish person? dont continue discussing if it seems to be an issue? I am unsure! I would love your thoughts??? Or would that be not okay to ask for thoughts? I am at an impasse because I have always talked things out! Isnt that what we do??? Oh well I will ponder it on my own and let you know what I come up with! My dh is pondering too!
4 comments:
I feel your pain, I tend to be a very tolerant, accepting middle of the roader... see that is how you become roadkill.
You know, the problem always seems to be when we start judging each other for "insert topic here". It can be participating with Halloween/not participating with Halloween, politics, religion, You can interchange it with just about anything. Sometimes, don't you just feel like standing in middle of the street and screaming "can't we all just get along???" I mean, can't we all just make our own reasoned decisions from what we read, know and discuss between our family and our own morality, and then just do what we think is right and NOT leap to the conclusion that everyone else who doesn't do it the same way is morally wrong?
Hi Carrie. My husband is a pastor and you know what he would say? AK YOUR PASTOR. I think it is not a good idea to look at the bible and if you have a question about it, to just say, hmm I will think about it and try to figure it out. Go ask the person who has gone to college to study this subject. If you have a drain in your pipe, will you just say "hmm, I will look at it and just fix it the way I think would work"? no! While I do think we are called to learn scripture and place it upon our hearts, I think that when we have a question, we should go to a learned authority on the subject. The same way if I had a headache I would go to a doctor, not my sister or my husband. Does that make sense? Read, study, and pray about scripture. Read concordances. Read references. But ask questions of your pastor.
Hey Carrie (you showed up in my google report cause you linked to me).... :) I think Texan Momma's advice is good. Romans 14 has become a sort of life passage for me, I've studied it tons and read it at least twice a day this time of year (Halloween is a real challenge for me, dunno why?! I just feel it is SO wrong but not many people I know do so I find id challenging in that way)
Anyway, the chapter is definitely talking about how we should treat believers with different convictions. Don't just read that one verse I quoted. Look at the whole chapter carefully... verses 3-4 show that this is talking about God's servants, who he makes stand. Unbelievers are not God's servants and He does not make them to stand. It goes on to explain how the two parties with different convictions are both doing their opposite convictions "unto the Lord".
It's dealing with the matters of some new believers recognizing that they were free to eat all kinds of food, and others feeling constrained to still follow the food stipulations of the Mosaic law. Paul himself says that he recognizes he is free to eat all foods, but he respects the "weaker" brother whose conscience does not allow him to partake. Same thing for the holidays and food sacrificed to idols.
The clincher for me is verses 17-19 and 22 where it says; "In the kingdom of God, eating and drinking are not important. The important things are living right with God, peace adn joy in the Holy Spirit. Anyone who serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God and will be accepted by other people. So let us try to do what makes peace and helps one another. ... Your beliefs about these things should be kept secret between you and God."
I don't know about you but I didn't come away from *that* thread full of peace and love and joy. That is telling. People say (and I used to believe) that discussions like that were beneficial... now I believe they just distract us from our real calling...
sorry if I crashed your blog... just wanted the chance to expand on where that was coming from.
God's Peace!!
I'm visiting from SITS - you have an interesting blog here! We don't really "do" Halloween. It's also my son's birthday, so most of our emphasis is on his birthday. As far as discussing with others, maybe that should be done in a trusted group of fellow believers so that no one misunderstands and gets feelings hurt.
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