I don’t like arguing. I suspect it’s because I’m too dumb to understand everything at once.

It’s not wrong to argue and our society needs it to ensure that we stay on the right track. However, it is important that we don’t run after false doctrine.

Paul emphasises the fact that Jesus is the crux of the Gospel: ⁴I’m telling you this because I don’t want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or “the Secret.” What is referred to here is actually incorrect doctrine or theology that is forced on people and that leads them away from Jesus.

One thing I don’t understand is when men of God, who had been called to preach the true Word of God, suffer a knock or two in life and then change their message to something so far removed from the true message.

A friend of mine told me that his pastor started believing that Jesus was simply a historical person and not actually the son of God. It was no surprise to me that his congregation closed down soon thereafter.

We like to follow leaders. Churches with dynamic leaders are always filled to the overflow and extra chairs have to be brought in on Sundays. Nothing wrong with it, maybe it’s even normal for us to follow leaders like that. But it is still our responsibility to make sure that we are not misled.

I think we often make too much of theology and rules instead of believing in the simple truth of the Gospel. We argue intensely about things that actually do not touch on God’s central message.

For days the council of churches considered what they all agreed on. Eventually, they found one commonality and that is that Jesus had died on the cross for everybody’s sins. And do you know what? That is enough. That is the crux of all that we believe in.

Often arguments draw us away from the Gospel, with the result that we no longer live our calling in the world. It’s chaos out there. There are many lonely people out there. There are people who run around rudderless and directionless. There are people with enormous hurt they cannot deal with. There are people hungry for food and for the Gospel. Just look around you.

And we who have to help them, what do we do? We use our energy to argue about things that show how selfish we are and how jealous we are of one another. We argue with one another about whether or not this or that group is acceptable to God. We fight about things that have nothing to do with the Gospel.

It remains everybody’s responsibility to ensure that he or she follows the correct leader. Make sure that Jesus remains the focus and not man made theologies. When Jesus is the focus, it will become visible in the difference that we make around us. If little happens outside the church, there should be many question marks.

When we get to heaven one day, the question will not be what leader you believed in, but what you believed and how you lived …

Scripture

Colossians 2:2-5

Reflection

What do you believe in?

What do the people in your church argue about?

With what do you have to help?

Prayer

Lord, sometimes it makes me sick to see how your children go on and fight about things that do not really have anything to do with the central message of salvation. Father, please help me to never ever take my eyes from the cross. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.