Don't retreat; exegete!

The path of truth is a narrow one. Because it is so easy and natural for human beings to stray from God's truth, we must center our attention upon following the path before us, and not give too much focus to avoiding one particular misunderstanding. Truly, it is necessary that we hate heresy and lies, but running blindly in the opposite direction will certainly lead to extremist unbiblical views. In order for the Christian to stay on the path, one must diligently familiarize oneself with the Word of God, and not base our belief on the hatred of certain false beliefs.

Lately, I have found myself doubting that God really works in my life. It has seemed to me that there is not evidence of God's hand upon me. At times, I have been full of sadness and despair.

Charismatics, on the other hand, tend to misunderstand how God works in the universe. Many believe in modern prophets, present-day sign gifts, and other things. I believe this is a result of their misunderstanding God's Word. This is not the main point of my discussion.

The point is: I grew up in a mildly charismatic church. I will never go to another charismatic church. I tend to run so quickly from charismatic ideas, that I have started to doubt the means by which God actually works in the universe. I have (internally and subconsciously) scoffed at the idea of God changing lives, revealing Himself through His Word, and answering prayers, in various situations.

This irrational means of drawing conclusions about God's nature is the result of focusing primarily on running from something that I have decided is bad, and not focusing enough on gaining an accurate understanding of God's Word from God's Word. So, the point is a simple one: every Christian should seek to believe in God's Word more so than he/she disbelieves lies. Read your Bibles, remembering always to do so reverently, patiently, diligently, and carefully.

-Prince Cor