Thursday; May 19

There is a lot of talk about tolerance these days. The concept of “you be you and let me be me” has a lot of pull to it. It seems like the scriptures even promote this concept when we are told, “… with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3). Yet is there a limit to how much we can and should tolerate?

When looking at this concept from a New Testament perspective, it was written to people who had a common basis of faith and obedience. The Christians were being told to accept others who were being obedient to the Lord. The idea wasn’t to tolerate sin, it was written to encourage people with different opinions to get along. The church was not to be torn apart just because two people disagreed on something that wasn’t defined by God’s law.

Being tolerant has become a banner of some social – and even some religious – movements. While there is a tremendous amount of value in getting along, we must not “sell off the farm” in the interest of tranquility. Let’s not be hard to get along with, but let’s always be willing to stand up for right. The truth must always be seen as the truth, but in matters of opinion there should be tolerance.

Think About It!

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