Variation is always a good thing, my opinion, as long as each variance is aligned with me. Ironic? Paradoxical? Of course. Stringent strongholds of immature faith insist on "my way or the highway" when God never built such a road. Why is it that so much God-pleasing difference can be firmly ignored in the name of the right way to operate?
My nearby waitress just returned from a cruise to Cozumel. No interest on my part. If Mary and I go somewhere, our preference is always St. Louis. Yet, I doubt one from New Mexico would feel that would be much of a trek.
We are different. God endorses difference. God created such.
I have struggled all through the years to accept His creative design. True, I didn't struggle with His creativity when it came to flower assortments...or candy! But from the beginning of ministry I have allowed little room for variety of biblical understanding.
Worship gatherings? Local outreach? Church organization? Doctrinal conviction? All needed to be funnelled, my estimation, through a very slim proof-text; so narrow it eliminated the "abundant" life Jesus insists we possess.
If mankind is to be blessed by God it could be that all church systems would do well to narrow the number of things we label fundamentals of our faith in order expand the Truth of His heart's desire. We are capable of developing much more restriction than God ever intended. The Pharisees had a problem of broadening the narrow so that judgment and violation were abundant. The reverse is needed; narrow the expansion of man-made regulations that the simplicity of Christ may finally show its awesome fruit.
That believers have the room to be different from me is a given....except I couldn't get it. Jesus is the the narrow road....which leads to spectacular and unrestricted room to vary in our opinions, insights, and kingdom concepts.
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