There was a time I was a quibbler….I quibbled about perceived contradictions in Scripture. I quibbled over words…..and over tones and implications that I could have little way of discerning from words alone. I pecked away at the texts to try to figure them out to make sense, given my own experience, reason, and tradition.
Then one Sunday sitting in church, as our pastor preached on Romans, I surrendered the need to know everything about the Bible. I prayed as I sat in the pew: “Lord, I’m not sure I understand the impact of this, but I’m just going to ask you to show me what you need me to know by the power of your Holy Spirit, according to your timing and your purpose for my life. Amen.”
It was that simple. I surrendered my mind to the mind of Christ. I asked him to guide my understanding of the Word and to let me not lean on my own understanding. It made all the difference in the world! The Lord began to show me wonderful things I could never have imagined before….in the Word, in prayer, in the world!
Deut. 29:29- The secret things of God belong to God, but the things he has revealed to us are for us and our children that we may obey his Word.
I don’t need anyone to agree with me. I seek the Lord’s counsel for the need, for the circumstances, for the purpose and he shows me what he wants me to know and say. Now, are there times when I am speaking on my own behalf…speculating or “pondering”, as I call it? Yes. It sometimes leads to entirely new ways to think about things. And I know that God will guide me into right thinking if I’m off base, through resources that confirm his Word and are faithful to his character.
God laughs at the silly controversies we dream up. When we get to heaven and expect to get all the answers, we’re going to find we’ve been asking the wrong questions!