Preferences

Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.  Acts 16:3 (NASB)

Something struck me this morning as I read about Paul meeting Timothy.  Paul, in most other circumstances, was pretty adamant about circumcision being unnecessary for salvation and ministry.  He wanted to fight against the insistence that anyone had to covert to Judaism in order to become a Christian.  Yet here he made sure that Timothy was circumcised before taking this young man with him to pursue ministry. 

Paul knew that Timothy, as a young man, needed all the credibility he could get.  He knew that he, himself, needed credibility in bring Timothy along. 

And so he convinced Timothy of the need to be circumcised.

Are there times when I'm willing to set aside some of my preferences for the sake of service to God?  Even those preferences that I cling to the most?  I claim that my desire is to do all things to the glory of God.  How far am I willing to go?

The Holy Spirit will never lead me contradictory to the Word of God.  Never.  But, sometimes, He will lead me contrary to my personal preferences.  Paul insisted that circumcision was not necessary for salvation, and he was right.  As such, he argued, why force circumcision on Gentile believers?  But, circumcision was also not a hindrance to salvation, and in this situation it was felt that circumcision might actually bring more people into the kingdom.  So, to Paul - and apparently to Timothy as well - it was worth it. 

It's one thing to stick to my guns, hold to my convictions, and be solid in my doctrine.  It's another thing entirely to hold my preferences as equivalent to Scriptural doctrine and Bible-based convictions.  I am challenged to be willing to set aside my preferences when the need arises.  And I'm praying for the wisdom to discern when to stick to them and when to put them aside.