Open-minded

I lost a supposed friend last Sunday. One who had some different beliefs but was open-minded (supposedly) and we had been friends for about a year. Heck even pen-pals. Open-minded, I love that when people claim that. Yep the person was open-minded as long as I apparently didn’t believe God, the Lord Jesus Christ and Christianity. Open-minded, you underestand, as long as the beliefs are the same as theirs. Open-minded. So far in my limited life experience of almost 51 years, the person who claims such isn’t REALLY. I apparently thanked God too much in my posts when I wrote about blessings and answered prayers.
What is kind of interesting is I have been thinking about the term “open-minded” a bit recently. I had recently heard that for a Christian that being “open-minded” in essence allows ourselves to vex our souls (2 Peter 2:7-8). Put another way, it puts us in constant environments that we know we should not be a part of (ex. abstain from all appearance of evil – 1 Thess. 5:21-22). So I have been thinking about that and what that really means/implies on the whole and to my own self. I am still not sure of the whole paradigm (if that is the correct word to use) but I must agree that I have been getting a bit wore out having to skip posts by individuals who embrace a lifestyle or belief system that is so contrary to mine. I know not everyone agrees with everyone else on everything so that isn’t the issue. It’s more about serious systemic beliefs that I understand to be wrong. So then maybe the fact that the individual isn’t open-minded after all actually means that they have more serious convictions about their own beliefs than I do, which if that is true, means to me I have allowed my soul to be vexed when I was trying to be engaging and open-minded myself. Which gets me to thinking about the phrase “open-minded” and how it should be correctly used/applied. Maybe – though now I am pretty positive it is the case – the willingness to be “open-minded” isn’t always a good thing or more importantly – the right thing.

It is more important in trying to develop relationships and friendships to be true to what you know is right even if that limits the opportunities to gain friendships. After all, for a Christian, the most important relationship one should have is with the Lord. If the chief “aim” of the human being is to glorify and enjoy God I am sure that obedience to Him trumps open-mindedness for the sake of being engaging is not going to lead to success in accomplishing one’s chief aim.