IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?

IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?
Is your point of view really important enough to you, that you will allow it to become an offense, a stumbling block, a barrier, a point of contention which separates between you and other people or between other people and God?

Even when the subject is the eternal, infallible, inerrant and authoritative word of God, we are to present the truth in love. We are not allowed to use the truth of God to attack others or to win arguments, when souls are at stake. Neither are we allowed to use our Christian liberty as an excuse for demeaning other believers.

How much more absurd when we allow foolishness, personal preferences and opinions (regardless of how valid or insignificant they may be), to separate us from other people, or allow those hobby horses to become so important that it obscures the beauty, love, truth, unity, kindness, sensitivity, compassion of Christ to them. This becomes especially disturbing when the point of controversy is actually a matter of taste or bias concerning things that are flippant.

As I write this, a plethora of ideas, passages, situations, flood my mind. But let me close by simply asking the old question, "What would Jesus do." He certainly would not display an attitude, place a barrier, set an obstacle, put a stumbling block, build a wall between Himself and another person. He would not hurt, offend, insult, antagonize them. Just as He did not come to argue over foolishness, neither should we.

In RACQUETBALL it is called a HINDER when a player interferes with, or obstructs his opponent's ability to see or hit the ball. A hinder in racquetball allows for a REPLAY. However, when a person HINDERS another person from seeing the truth of God or responding to the truth of God because of his own personal agenda, there may be no REPLAY.

It is unacceptable for believers to allow anything in their lives that harms another person. This includes the most essential areas of our own pleasures, comforts, needs.

Luke 6:27-28
(27) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
(28) Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Romans 12:10
(10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Romans 13:10
(10) Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 14:12-13
(12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
(13) Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Ephesians 4:1-3
(1) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
(2) With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
(3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 5:1-4
(1) Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
(2) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
(3) But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
(4) Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

1 Peter 3:8-12
(8) Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
(9) Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
(10) For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
(11) Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
(12) For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.