Wasted Breath, Titus 3:9

Wasted Breath

Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish controversies and geneologies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

Why waste your breath. Although some discussions are more important than others, some are fruitless and divisive. All they do is create a wall of separation between believers. In Jewish law, only the Levites were spiritual leaders. God had set them aside as caretakes of the law to the people. But Christ changed all that. He tore open the curtain and now through Jesus each of us has access to God, the Holy of holies. Many other areas of church doctrine can separate people in the church as well, such as which denomination is correct, are we pre-trib or post-tribulation, can we perform greater miracles than Jesus, what clothes are modest and which aren't, should we be hooked to the grid, is man destroying the climate, on and on we go. Notice what Paul said, these are unprofitable and useless.

K and A, it is not that some of these issues are pointless. Many of them are crucial to your faith and the faith of others as well. What is being said here is that the arguments and quarrels are useless. When you find that a relationship is being destroyed because neither person will listen or budge from their belief... you be the person that yields their right to speak and choose friendship over dogma. At work I often just keep my mouth shut when I hear, well, we all sin everyday, it's about knowing Jesus forgave me, or I'm not perfect, I'm just forgiven, or I guess it was just their time to die, or all things happen for a reason. Yeah, like next time think before you choose to do heroin. Oh wait, there is no next time.

Sometimes, you must hold your tongue (please see the old NIV for this quote) , even when you are right, even when the point is crucial. Often you can do more damage than good if you try to press your point. Don't waste your breath.

~Dad

Note: I am not referring to standing up for truth in leadership discussions. There are issue too important to pass over. Because my generation wanted to just all get along and love each other, the church has drastically changed. Things once preached as sins are now common in the church; sexual promiscuity and homosexuality, drinking and drugs, immodest clothing and dancing are just a few of them!