I was having a discussion about theology at a cafe with a friend the other day (if you’re not into God, faith, or Christianity, don’t worry, this still has an applicable point). We were talking about what people base their whole faith on. It started with some Rob Bell conversations, then moved on to “unconventional” views my friend held. One was regarding evolution. In evangelical circles, this is often treated as an essential. We talked about whether we we hold to evolution, literal creation, or somewhere in between. The discussion really changed to “how important is this?”
There’s lots of things that we hold to, and really need to hold onto tightly. There’s other things that honestly matter much less, that we often hang on to quite tightly. It could be something that we just really like, a pet project, something we’re passionate about, something we do well, etc. But we have to ask “how important is this?” Is this something that everything else hinges on? Is this what I’m going to let define me (or my faith)? In the context of our discussion regarding evolution, we both said “no.” If evolution was proved true, it really wouldn’t rock our faith. That’s not the issue we want to be known for (and probably isn’t the best one to start picking fights with). We’re not even absolutely convinced that’s the case, when really looking at the Scriptures. There’s holes on both sides, where things aren’t unequivocally clear.
So what defines you as a person? What is it that would totally change you if you let go of it? What about your brand, your business? What is it that you do well that’s at the core? You need to hang on to those things. Keep them, fight for them. Sharpen them. That’s what makes you unique. In faith, those are the things defining your faith (I would say things like the Gospel and authority of Scripture). Hold tightly. The other things, the things that aren’t so crucial, let them go. Or at least, don’t cripple yourself fighting for them.
