What Does Going Against The Grain Mean?

Although the words are popular throughout the Internet, the phrase has been used for centuries to mean; To go against the generally accepted practices or the normal way of doing things in society. In the case of this blog, Going- Against- The- Grain.org  was inspired out of my experiences in the Church of God In Christ.  I learned that when I asked questions about what I did not understand, I upset the normal practice of things and I did not get a straight answer.

As I began to learn more and more about my faith and what scripture says, I realized there was a vast difference between what the church taught (mainly tradition and man made rules) and what the bible states.  Whenever I would ask about things (respectfully and with humility of course), leadership was defensive and evasive. There are church members that will not ask questions, there are church members that will follow every word and teaching that a church leader will teach and I was not that person. There was a genuine interest to discern between fact, fiction and hearsay.   I was more shackled by policy, tradition and reputations than being allowed to grow untethered (by tradition) in the knowledge of the Lord.  

I’m not talking about being defiant and disrespectful, but God gave us leaders to teach us in the knowledge of the Lord and to lead us,  not take control over us to think for us and tell us “This is what God told me to tell you” .  In many cases when you check what was said and taught, something is missing and you plainly see that  God neither taught or said many of the thing being taught and said in the church.

In Paul’s Charge to Timothy (II Timothy 3)  he writes:

^10: You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, ^11: persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ^12: In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ^13: while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴: But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ^15: and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ^16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ^17: so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Looking at verse 15,  Paul makes the comment ” and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”. If the scripture is in such simplicity ( and I realize some people still do not understand) why is it made so complicated by many preachers. They try to hide the truth and simplicity of Gods word in their tradition.

Too many people in the church are scared to go against the grain, their reputations are at stake, they are more concerned with what the Bishops, Elders and members will say. I do not condone divisiveness, disorder or disrespect, if you don’t agree with a church body, you should remove yourself and when you do, you just went against the grain.  You can yet be Christ like and stir things up and challenge lazy and careless thinking, after all that what Jesus Christ did in His ministry when He walked the earth and this is what he was hated by the scribes and pharisees and eventually crucified.

Anyone can just go along with the program and look the other way when the actions and practices of the place you fellowship in are not a reflection of the life scripture teaches. No one is perfect but, as God moves us trough the process, the least we could do is follow Him.

Originally posted 2010-01-30 13:07:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter