Pathways Press.com

Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary writer.

A certain degree of certainty is needed to function well… Certainty certainly has its shadow side: some Christians, sure of their rightness, hold beliefs with a harmful rigidity. Then again, so does uncertainty: other Christians, seeking to be nonjudgmental, try to keep an open mind about just about everything. But at some point that breaks down, too. To quote Chesterton, “Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”  What causes hostility and harm between us isn’t being certain but being excessively certain, not having boundary lines but holding them with animus. This is true on a geopolitical scale and a personal scale. We must be relatively certain about some things, we must have reasonable boundaries in some areas —but Christ calls us to hold both certainty and boundaries in a loving way… Develop tender and true hearts. Be vulnerable… Hold boundaries and certainty with great humility.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. [Romans 12:9-12]