Give it a little more time...

As a preacher of the Gospel, I have had the idea that at a certain point one should be at a certain place and doing "A", "B", "C". I mean this is what is said without being said by those who are of the same vocation I am, and yet there are those of us who haven't measured up to the said status quo, and this is tends to give me fits more than anything else. Why have I not...? What is it that...? When do I...?

There is a parable Jesus used in Luke 13:6-9, and I know this maybe a bit of a stretch to use this passage of scripture to show my point but if you bare with me I think you'll get what I'm saying, or at least I hope you do. Jesus was telling us about a man who planted a fig tree in his vineyard and after coming to see if the tree had produced any figs he didn't find any, so he told the gardener to cut the tree down. The gardener; who in this case is a representation of Jesus, tells the owner to wait just a little while longer and let him, the gardener, spend more time with the tree, and if after a time it doesn't still produce then OK we'll cut it down but if it does then it's all good.

This parable help me to understand that though the status quo says, "...at this stage in the game you should be here and if you aren't then..." that there are times when certain 'trees' aren't going to bring forth fruit right away and that it's going to take just a little more time perhaps than most, but as long as I'm in the hands of the Gardener I know that I will continue to receive the proper nutrients necessary to promote the growth needed to bare the fruit required to feed those in need.

Have you produced fruit at every stage in your development? What parable or passage of scripture have you found beneficial in helping you produce?

Open or Closed; Which Mind?

I have been thinking a lot about the idea of one being Open or Closed minded, and how often I hear the words used in more arguments than I care to attempt to list in this post, because if I did the post would be nothing more than a list of arguments from: interracial relationships to sexual preferences to political beliefs, etc.

So, what is it to be either open minded or closed minded?

Open minded: 1. Having or showing a mind receptive to new ideas or arguments. 2. unprejudiced, unbigoted, impartial.

Closed minded: Having a mind firmly unreceptive to new ideas or arguments.

My position has in years past been one of a closed mind, because I was under the false pretence that if I showed a willingness to listen to points of view that were different from what I was familiar or accustomed would give an impression of agreement or alignment with the opposing belief of whatever subject being discussed. I've later come to realize that I was unable to effectively dialogue if I wasn't willing to be receptive.

It is through our willingness to be open minded that we are able to filter all of the presented argument and solely on speculation or hearsay which promulgated out of ignorance, fear or indifference.

The scriptures teach us to reason together, and in the midst of reasoning there must be an openness and it is through this openness can we Narrow in on Truth.