Better Safe than Sorry.

“Well I'd rather be safe than sorry” this is the response I was given when I first began to voice my opinion about it being okay for woman to wear pants. This response surprised me and even made me feel angry. Imagine it being judgement day and God asking you why you did certain things, would you really tell Him, “Well God I just wanted to be safe.” Is it truly better to follow along with something you cannot one hundred percent backup in scripture or agree with a standard just because you are unsure if something is required or not? The response “it would be better to follow and find it was not mandated by God, than to not follow and find it was necessary in order to make it to heaven.” was also told to me shortly after by a different individual. Imagine trying to live your entire life by this principal, always being “safe” and never trying to learn what is actually acceptable, correct, or pleasing. I have been doing this for nearly 30 years and I feel nothing but guilt about it.

The more I study and read the Bible the more I feel incredibly certain that God would be disappointed in me if I answered Him on judgement day with statements like, “I wanted to be safe, just in case... because I was not sure” or answers like “I disagreed with these rules being required, but I wanted to keep the respect of the people that I love and not question what I have been taught”.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. “(Philippians 2:5-13)

When I read over these verses I had to stop and re-read them repeatedly just to make sure that I was understanding them. “Work out your own salvation” has become a very important command in scripture to me. Before the command is given in scripture however, we are reminded of just who our Savior is and all He has done for us, and then after the command it reassures us that it is God who will work inside of us and show us what He wants not only from us but also for us.

When I go on to read and study in the book of Romans a few other important verses bring back my questions of how I will answer on judgement day... (Romans 14:5-12) NKJV “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”

It is clear to me from these scriptures (and additional ones like 2 Corinthians 5:10, Matthew 12:36, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 11:31) that each one of us will be questioned and judged for our own life choices and actions by Jesus. It is also clear to me that when the day comes and I must answer for my life and the way I lived it saying, “I respected other people too much to question beliefs or rules, “or “I did certain things because I'd rather be safe than sorry.” are not answer that will please the God who gave His life for me. We are taught in Galatians 1:9 –10 “As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” If we are really serving God, and our goal really is to please Him then we will not take man’s words, or standards, as law, or value pleasing men above pleasing God.

Unfortunately, it truly does bother me when I hear people say that they choose to do something out of obedience to man, as a safety net, or in fear of people (much different than a fear of God). The Bible clearly instructs us to study God, His word, HIs actions, and His teachings to understand within ourselves our Savior. I cannot rely on the things that others have taught me, the standards others follow, or the theology that others may believe as the basis for any action or choice that I make with my life. The responsibility of my actions is in my own hands. God has given me my own brain, blessed me with the ability to read and learn, and charged me with the responsibility of knowing and growing my faith and understand of Him and HIs commands.

Imagine a parent putting a plate of food down in front of their school-aged child and laying a fork next to it, the child can feed themselves but insist that they cannot do it alone only because they know that if they refuse someone will help them to eat so that they do not starve.

God created me; God gifted me a brain that allows me to seek out answers to any all questions that come into my mind. I can choose to pick up my Bible as if it is the fork next to my plate and feed my soul the true teachings of Jesus, or I can allow someone else to feed me...

“Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:14-15 NKJV

There are so many arguments that develop from this simple statement I am making. I am choosing however, to put my foot down and say out loud that “I do not want to be better safe than sorry; I want to be knowledgeable, understanding, and strong in the truth and facts that I learn about the God that I choose to serve.” I know people will come back with long arguments about obedience, traditions, “honoring my father and mother”, and making sure that I am separated from the world. I am working on my responses as I learn in my own heart what I truly believe and find required in God’s scriptures. (I will also gladly share my answers and arguments on this platform in future.)

I know I will meet a lot of friends, family members, and even strangers that disagree with me, find my philosophy wrong, or even think that my heart is in the wrong place... I will not be changing my mind however. I am determined in my mind that God gave me the gift and discernment, the ability to study, the heart and desire to learn about Him and His desires for those who choose to follow them. I will not be “better safe than sorry”, but I will be strong is scripture, faith, knowledge, and understanding.