Tolerance
Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love.
If only everyone on this planet would think the way we do. If only they’d see things the way we do. THEN … wouldn’t life be wonderful? Peace. Harmony. Happy days. Pffft … like that’s ever going to happen!
We’ve chatted a bit about this over the last few months, because disagreement is such a big issue these days. Firstly, there’s so much to disagree about. And secondly, technology being what it is, there are so many places for us to disagree.
Be it a public rally or demonstration, or a metaphorical grenade hurling exercise on social media … I often wonder how great leaders of the past – Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and the like – would fare in today’s world.
Would they still become great leaders, or would they be howled down by the masses in social media? I guess we’ll never know. What we do know is that the world is becoming more intolerant. And not only that, we’re also misinterpreting ‘tolerance’. Because it isn’t about approving of an opinion with which we don’t agree. It’s about treating the person who’s saying what you powerfully disagree with, with respect, humility and love. Which is exactly God’s point:
Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love.
When should we be humble and gentle? Always. With whom should we be patient, and of whom should we be accepting? Each other. No exceptions. No get out clauses.
God knows that some people’s strident opinions drive us up the wall. But we don’t have to agree with them. We just have to love them with patience, humility and gentleness.
Imagine how different the world would be if we did that.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Blessed by this devotion?
Share it with a friend!
Respond