Being adamantly opposed to being adamant ranks right up there with a European American being prejudiced against an African American for being prejudiced against a European American or with an individual or group being intolerant of the perceived intolerance in another individual or group. Yet we are surrounded by these deep-rooted emotions and feelings—feelings which are most commonly generated because of the filters through which we funnel our thoughts.

Here’s a simple (but all-too-common) example: Facebook. A friend of mine heard of one bad experience on Facebook and now it seems that when the word is even mentioned, she immediately shoves it through the filter of preconceived notions, and the result is that she vehemently condemns its use, using words like “people always” and “users never” in her tart conversations about the subject.

On the other side of that, I personally appreciate Facebook’s ability to connect my many communities and friendships into one place where I can laugh, cry, pray with, and ask for prayer from friends in all locations and on all levels. So when Facebook is mentioned, I may turn a blind eye to its drawbacks and send the concept through my filter of appreciation and send out a quick response that eliminates any possible negative elements, which do, in fact and unfortunately, often exist.

I could go on and on, listing numerous negative examples. But that’s not my style, and it’s not the focus of this post or the desired focus for your comments. I think the two-sided example above states it clearly.

But what does this have to do with my Christian walk? Plenty! While there are indeed a few times when people “always _____” or people “never _____,” I’m almost to the point where I think that “always” and “never” are words that should, for the most part, be reserved for God alone. I’ve started to cringe when I read an article by a Christian author using the words “always” or “never” when describing Christ followers or their actions.

Fundamentalists don’t “always _____”—there are some who may. Evangelicals don’t “always _____”—there are some who just might. Liberals may not always “never _____.” I don’t know how it happened (well, actually, I do—stay tuned), but we grew comfortable with lumping every person within a perceived group into having the same actions and reactions. And it just isn’t so.

So, how did it happen? Proverbs 13:10 is awesome. I’m known for saying, “Bottom line it, Baby,” and this verse bottom lines it: ” Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” In this verse, I love how the King James Version says it best: only by pride.

Using the filter of humility as the sieve through which we send what we hear and what we say doesn’t mean that we are accepting or approving the beliefs of another individual or group. It means we are setting ourselves up to respond in a Christ-honoring manner—in humility and with the love of Christ. Rarely does every person in a group “always _____.” Hardly ever can it be said that every person in an organization “never _____.”

The “always” and “never” that should guide my thoughts and comfort my heart today should not come as the result of prideful comparisons based on self-focused filters. They should solely be based on the certainties of an unchanging God, Who lovingly and honestly stated these truths (and more):

“I will never leave you; I will never forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV)

“And be sure of this, I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20, NLT)

 ____________________

How are you progressing during this first week of our contest?

If you haven’t joined in yet, there’s still plenty of time, and the prizes are AWESOME!

Click here to learn about the 2014 WRW Month Contest and to access the report form.

_______________________

Would you like us to e-mail our posts to you? We’ll only send you the blog posts—no spam—and we won’t give your information to anyone else! In fact, you can unsubscribe at any time, and we’ll still be friends!

It’s imperative that you reply to the “confirm that you subscribed” e-mail, so we know that it’s really you!

Subscribe to Petals from the Basket by e-mail.