We Don’t Have to Pick a Hill to Die On

It may seem redundant to some but, Father, I am grateful each day that You motivate and enable me to accomplish things needing done. All praise to You!

Romans 9:17-24 (<<click here to read the passage)

Something that needs to be stressed is that sometimes we have to admit we don’t know everything or in some cases that we don’t understand everything. This is one of those times for me.

A debate that has gone on for centuries is whether we as God’s children have true free will or if there is no free will. Having no free will is referred to as predestination, which means God determines our destinies, we do not.

I’m not going to argue either side, though my leaning may come through unintentionally. I know of two exceptional theologians who debated this theological point, John Calvin and John Wesley. They were contemporaries and though they agree on many, many things theologically, they could not come to an agreement on that.

The point that I am trying to make is that, one, we don’t have to know or understand everything, and secondly, we, as followers of Christ, don’t always have to pick a hill to die on – though many over the centuries have done just that. There have been far too many deaths – lives taken – in the name of Christ.

Are these things important? Yes…but personally I will let God sort it all out. He is Sovereign and all will be right in the end regardless of our take on some things. He is a just, fair, loving, and compassionate God. We have no need to worry about that. What we need to be concerned about is loving Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And once we’re well on our way to that end of things, to love our neighbors as ourselves – no argument there!

A good verse here is from Galatians 5:22-23,

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! _NLT

Lord Jesus, regardless of our stand on so, so many things, may our love for You and Your love in us and through us stand above them all! Amen and amen!

July 10^th, 2023, Mon, 7:30 pm