“There is a helpful formula that has been used in the church over the centuries.”

A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 171). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

So, let’s see what it is!

Charles says, “It works in most situations where not everyone agrees but where all desire harmony rather than conflict and strife. I suggest you memorize it and then put it into practice: In essentials . . . unity. In nonessentials . . . liberty. In all things . . . charity.

“All those who join our church, Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, are united in the doctrinal essentials. But there are many other issues that are not essential. Members may not always agree with every jot and tittle of our policies and ministry strategies, but those are nonessentials. So, we have the liberty to have differences of opinion, as long as we support the overall ministry with humility and Christlike servanthood. But when we disagree and come to an impasse, we approach one another in the love of Christ.

“The legalist makes the mistake of seeing everything as essential. If you don’t agree with him or her, you’re judged. But there should be room for liberty in the nonessentials. That’s grace. You may prefer tattoos; I may not. You’re free to serve and worship in the church I serve if you have tattoos. Because that’s a nonessential. Quit making nonessentials essentials. Everyone will be better for it—your children, your grandchildren, your employees, the people you serve in your small groups, and certainly your neighbors and friends.”

He goes on, “Approaching all things with a loving spirit is a great way to run your home, by the way. Sometimes as parents and grandparents, we just need to lighten up. Is it worth losing your relationship with your kids or grandkids over their preference in music? Or about the length of their hair? Or because of the career they choose?

“If you want to live a lifestyle that is displeasing to the Lord and in conflict with the precepts and principles of His Word, that’s different. That’s serious. Those things fall into the category of essentials.

“But even in confronting those extremely sensitive matters, especially in the lives of teenagers, I urge you to search your heart. Don’t overreact. Don’t leave Bible verses on their skateboard or stuck to their iPhone! You will lose them—guaranteed. You may never get that relationship back. If you’ve already blown it, then confess your harshness to the Lord and ultimately wait for Him to provide just the right time to make amends with the person you hurt. But let time do its healing work. Don’t rush in. Show patience. Give them space and time to grow up. Trust me: you’ll never regret it.”

He then says, “In all you do, remember, choose love. Let love be your first thought—and your second, your third, and your last.”

So, let’s with God’s help approach each other with a loving spirit. Will you strive to do that? Will you?

Yes, yes

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

"To put it simply, worry isn’t just a bad habit."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 1). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Ok, that is interesting. Louie says, "Worry is an Enemy tactic—a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces. "That’s why it’s crucial that you are able to spot the lies worry tells." He goes on, "Not long ago while on safari in South Africa, Shelley and I were really wanting to see a leopard in the wild. Early and late on our game drives our eyes were set on every tree limb, bush, grassy hill, and river path in hopes of finding one of several leopards that were known to frequent this particular area. But here’s the thing: leopards aren’t bright orange with tall, sparkly antennae on their backs. They are designed to blend into the surroundings, like the bark of a baobab tree where they might be lounging on one of its mighty branches. "In the same way, ...

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