For the Love of God, Shut Up About the Carpet Color.

I find the existence of denominations in the Christian Church--however inevitable the emergence of those denominations appears to be--incredibly sad. It causes brothers and sisters in the faith to create divisive labels,  as we identify ourselves as a "Baptist" or "Catholic" or "Pentecostal" rather than as a Christian. We begin to follow a theology rather than following Christ, and hold so tight to the words of our specific doctrine that we close our minds off to everything else, even the very words the Holy Spirit may be speaking to us.

You know what I've realized? Every one of our denominations is flawed. None of us has the perfect picture. None of us have all the answers. The Word of God makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 13:12, "Now we see a dim reflection, as if we were looking into a mirror, but then we shall see clearly. Now I know only a part, but then I will know fully, as God has known me."

But we do have some answers, bits and pieces of the puzzle that have revealed to us by the Spirit. Every denomination has its weaknesses, but it also has its strengths. Don't you think we could learn something from each other? What if we all came together, as brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing our opinions with open hearts and open minds, agreeing to disagree about the little things, the petty things? How powerful would that be, if we all truly united as one Body, the way God intended His Church, His Bride, to be?

It seems impossible, but as children of God, the impossible is what we are called to. We have to let go of our need to "be right" all the time, humble ourselves and admit that we don't have all the answers, and that's okay. What we do know is that, above all else, our God has called us to love, the way He loves, for "Knowledge puffs you up with pride, but love builds up," (1 Corinthians 8:1). God does not call us to be a people who knows everything; He calls us to be a people who loves.