MAJORING IN MINORS

Ever wonder why maps of the whole world have funny shaped edges, or why they make some countries bigger than they are on a Globe? Cartographers have found there's no perfect way to draw a round surface on a flat map, so they distort the shape of certain areas in the north and south, for example, making Greenland look bigger than Australia.

Christians can have problems with distortions as well. When we try to understand spiritual truths within the limitations of a sinful world, we can end up exaggerating the minors while minimizing the majors. Not all spiritual teachings have equal importance. The liturgy of worship, for example, is not as important as the doctrine of Jesus Christ. How we pray is not as important as to Whom we pray.

Distortion can also happen in what we consider to be sin. When confronted with what science says about certain actions, we may be tempted to believe some wrongs are no longer wrong. What we've always believed to be right can be placed in doubt by popular notions disclaiming what is right.

The New Testament addresses distortions that come when the teachings of popular teachers become more important than the teachings of Jesus Christ. Sound biblical teaching does not distort the basics found in the Bible, nor does it divide the church. Rather, it unites believers and builds up the body. "New" teachings can often be old sins in a new disguise.

Attempts to explain God and His will fully and completely are usually inadequate. Those who think they can explain all the mysteries of God usually end up distorting our priorities, confusing our thinking, and flattening our understanding of what it means to be a child of God. What's really important is what we believe about Jesus Christ.

St. Paul may have had this in when he wrote 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

Relying on Jesus Christ can keep us from distorting the truth.