What? Not Everyone Agrees With Me!

We pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Romans 14:9

So, as I mentioned last week, I am doing this bible study called Discerning the Voice of God, and one of my daily lessons was on how the Lord desires unity and mutual edification within the body of Christ. The lesson went further to say that God will give me freedom to do things He may not give others freedom to do and vice versa, and that we must be careful not to allow our freedom to harm other believers. I must say that this really spoke to my heart and got me thinking not only about my freedoms but that of those close to me. God specifically gave me my very own freedoms but that does not necessarily mean he gave my friends the very same freedoms. The example in the lesson concerned eating different types of foods. Believers with Gentile backgrounds freely ate all things. Others with a Jewish background observed the ceremonial laws concerning food. They felt convicted about eating food that had been offered to idols. Paul encouraged each to remain true to his own convictions, but he also said that they should not do something that would cause another to stumble. Why? Because it is more important to pursue peace and build one another up.

I contribute to this blog along with five of my very good friends. While we all have a personal relationship with Christ and have a very special friendship and bond, we don’t always agree on the same things. (Surprise, Surprise) I think we’d seriously get sick and tired of being 100% alike and agree on every single thing that comes along. I love that we are diverse in our opinions and what we believe about different topics. Yes, it can sometimes be tense and there have been a few interventions in the past (okay, maybe just one), but we really have learned to be accepting of one another and to love one another even when we don’t always agree. The beauty of this blog is that I can write about whatever I want to write about and so can everyone else. The opinions reflected in my posts may not necessarily be the opinions of Amelia, Beth, Erica, Mary or Staci, but the same is true for something they may write about…I might not necessarily agree. I am thankful that God made each of us different and gave each of us our own freedoms. Because I cherish my friends and love them dearly, I will respect their opinions and do my best to build them up and create unity. I encourage you to reflect on the freedoms God has given you and then be aware of how those freedoms will affect others when you choose to exercise them.

XOXO,

Cassandra O