I'm wearing: mint green shirt-Vanity $4//Grey maxi skirt-thrifted $3//Vintage style shoes-Amazon $99
I've been contemplating lately if true tolerance exists, or if it's simply a wish never to come true. There's posts on Facebook pushing for tolerance, posters, videos, you name it, it probably exists. But I pose a question to you-is true, utter, complete tolerance attainable?
If you want to know my answer to that question, I say, no. To every issue, there's another side. Every offense has a defense. They go round and round saying "You need to be more tolerant!" Except by saying that, they're being equally intolerant.
There are tons of awesome bible verse I could quote, but here are two helpful ones:
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." John 15:18
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." 16:33
You're going to come under fire for your beliefs, people will call you "intolerant." They'll ask you "How can you say I'm a sinner when you're just as bad as me?" Guess what? They're so right! I am intolerant of sin and I'm absolutely as bad (if not worse than) them. The difference is, I'm forgiven and they can be forgiven too.
Don't let the world know you for being intolerant in the sense that you're rude, or unloving. Let the world know you love, that you love deeply. But yet, even loving deeply we can't back down on certain subjects. Be lovingly intolerant.
Hi Natasha! Those shoes! What a perfect time to splurge on such a nice Spring shoe!
ReplyDeleteI agree! People want us to tolerate things that we simply cannot. Saying so would make very foundation of OUR faith crumble. The only thing I would say about the "other side of the fence" would be to remember that when two parties have deep passion for things that may cause butting of heads, there will be conflict, but we can be the ones who show that we grow from those "debates" instead of blowing up over them.
Blessings,
Cassie
of Calico Sisters blog
Beautiful outfit, Natasha! I completely agree with your view on tolerance...What a great reminder!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a pretty outfit! Your shoes are cute. :)
ReplyDeleteYou wrote good words on tolerance! We need to be loving, but intolerant of sin.
Natasha, these are such powerful words! The contradictory thing about believing in "tolerance" is that people who are tolerant cannot tolerate people who are intolerant. So, like you said, true tolerance does not exist. If you believe something it means you have disbelieve the opposite of what you believe is true.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a very popular belief and I think what a lot of Christians find difficult is when we get accused of being unloving and unforgiving because we aren't "tolerant". I think we have to be brave in circumstances today and not let the world define what love is. It's hard, but I firmly believe that in order to be loving, we can't tolerate sin, we can't love sin because sin is destructive.
Thank you for such a refreshing and powerful message today! Also, your skirt is beautiful and mint is one of my favorite colors. A lovely spring outfit!
God bless!
Blogger Dani Fisher | a vapor in the wind