I have made it back from GLC’s mission trip to Juárez. It was a great week, filled with challenges, opportunities to grow, and blessings. Our upcoming recap video will hopefully capture some of that. I know I had many takeaways from the trip - more than I expected to have, and I hope to explore some of those lessons/impressions on the blog in the upcoming weeks. 

Today, I want to share a thought that stemmed from a conversation that took place on the trip. I was talking with another individual, and she was sharing about what God had been teaching her over the past year. Her beliefs had been challenged, forcing her to study the Word. She emerged with a renewed confidence in her Christian life, even though a shift in thought took place. Then came a statement that I have been mulling over in the past few days. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the exact wording, but the gist was that with a greater confidence in the Word of God comes a greater patience with others who might not believe exactly in the same way. That statement stuck with me. I have seen that very scenario play out over and over again in the lives of Christians. To put it in my own words: When I get a greater confidence in what I believe, I get a great graciousness towards others.

I’ve seen the opposite of this happen quite often. Many might hold to principles or convictions–usually due to being taught them while growing up or conveyed as “gospel truth” by some spiritual authority. These convictions follow the pattern of the Pharisaic approach to life: additions to Scripture in hopes of obeying the Scriptures. The intention behind this approach is noble, driven by a fear of transgressing the law of God. The outcome, though, was dangerous. The additions were placed on equal authority with the law or even above it. Consequently, the heart was overlooked and rarely addressed. 

These convictions are held tightly, and over time, they create a level of comfort and a barrier to any other type of thought. When this happens, the safeguards are guarded with vigor with a glaringly obvious lack of grace. Insults, harsh words, and degrading comments are hurled at the opposition, which many times is other believers with less stringent applications. The result is a veneer of godliness–shiny on the outside, but only that: on the outside.

With greater confidence in what the Bible clearly says, the Spirit moves to convict the heart. There is less confidence in the flesh because the weakness of the heart is exposed and comfort no longer dominates my pursuit. The truth of the Word of God does. The focus moves from external conformity to inward transformation. The Spirit of God takes root, resulting in attitude and character change. What follows is a new graciousness towards others with different applications of the same biblical principles.

Besides this transforming work of the Spirit, other factors also impact this increased sense of grace. First, the process of wrestling through the Scriptures humbles me. As I grapple with what the Bible actually says, I am humbled by how little of the Scriptures I know. Before this process, I prided myself in my unconfirmed, supposed superior knowledge. The process of discovering the truth destroys that pride. Therefore, having been humbled, I willingly respond in humility towards others.

Second, I am no longer driven by fear. Before, fear hindered me from pursuing Scripture at a greater depth because I may discover that my security blanket of rules was only that: a security blanket. In that scenario, my body of truth focuses on making me feel good about myself; I am doing the right things; rather than exposing my heart for what it truly is. So, I don’t focus on what the Word actually says. But when I shift my focus, a new found freedom emerges. My heart shifts from being driven by fear to a love for the Lord. And when you love the Lord, you will love others.

As I pondered these thoughts, I was reminded of one passage of Scripture. 2 Timothy 2:24-25. Paul’s instruction to Timothy is, “And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,  correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.” As an elder, Timothy had a responsibility to know and guard the truth (cf. 1 Tim 4:6, 16; 2 Tim 1:13-14; 2:15; 3:14; 4:2). He was to know the truth of Scripture, to be confident in the Word of God. If he was confident, then the exhortations of Paul could easily be followed. He could correct with truth, but not in the way we find so many do today on X or YouTube. He could correct with love, characterized by patience, kindness, and gentleness . . . graciously. His confidence in the truth impacts his heart so that he can respond with grace. 

What about you? Have you grown in greater confidence with the truth? If you have, is there a corresponding increase in graciousness? If not, then your understanding of “truth” may be nothing more than a security blanket.

Your Servant in the Lord,