“It’s an apple.”  “No, it’s a tomato.”  “Not uhh!”   “No matter what you may say or think, it IS a tomato.”  “No it’s not.  It’s an apple.”  Imperfect son number 3, my youngest, is convinced that he is NEVER wrong.  I have yet to figure out how to end a conversation like the above one.  He is definitely 100% wrong, but is 100% convinced he’s right and will not let you say otherwise.

If it were a matter of opinion, I wouldn’t care.  But he’s wrong about facts.  It would be easier if he’d let me just walk away from the conversation, but he doesn’t let it go.  He wants me to say, “You’re right, it’s an apple.”  But the thing is – it isn’t, and I don’t want to say it is just to get him to drop the conversation.  Some days it can be quite amusing, other days it can be quite frustrating.  However, it never makes me love him less.  He’s my son and I love him.  He’s wrong and I love him.

One day after one of those debates, I read Philippians again.  That time, here’s the passage that stood out to me:

“… as Christ Jesus:  Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.” (2:6-11, emphasis mine)

When I read this, it is clear to me that there is no other God, no other way to God, no other truth.  Otherwise the Bible would not say that every knee would bow and every tongue acknowledge… Why would EVERY one do these things if there were other ways or other Gods?  For me to believe in the Bible and to believe in Christianity, I have to believe that all other religions are wrong.  

In America today, I know that is a very unpopular statement.  I know what most people want me to say is, “I believe in Jesus, but being a Buddhist, or Muslim, or Mormon or whatever is right for you.”  But I can’t.  Not if I truly believe what the Bible says.  For me to say that is to say that my belief in Jesus is a fraud.  To me, it’s as simple as my conversation with my son, it’s not an apple, it’s a tomato.  I believe those who think otherwise are wrong.

But… and this is a big but (as a mom of 3 boys I’m chuckling like they do at the fact that I just said big butt…) But – I never stop loving those who think differently than I do.  I hope they would never feel like I am disrespectful or unkind, and I hope that they would never stop loving me despite thinking I’m wrong.  Some of my favorite people in the world follow other religions.  We are friends, we are family, and I love them.  But, just as with Cole, I cannot say they are right.  However, I can invite them to believe in Jesus and to allow Him to be their savior as well.

If you disagree with me, and are still reading, thank you.  I have to tell you I have known for weeks that this was what I was supposed to write about on a “Wednesday’s Wisdom from the Word.”  But I fought it.  It’s one thing to think the way I do, but to publicly write it on a blog knowing that many of you might disagree, well that’s a little scary.  In fact, so scary that last week I skipped Wednesday’s post.  I had no other inspiration for a different topic.  This week was the same and I knew I had to post it.  I hope you will come back on other days and continue to read what I learn through my imperfection…

♥Becki