By Danny Minton

In 1857, Phillip Gosse penned a book entitled Omphalos. The word “Omphalos” is the Greek word for “navel.” The central point of the book centered on creation and the idea that God would have created Adam and Eve with “hair, fingernails, and even a navel.”  It was a discussion on telling the age of the Earth. The Omphalos theory became a subject of hot debate. “Did Adam have a navel or not?!”

Have you ever wondered how much time we spend on subjects that really don’t matter that much? How much time is wasted on frivolous conversations that, in the end, carry no real significance in spreading the Word of God? How many arguments are over petty things that, as my grandfather would say, “don’t amount to a hill of beans?”

I was at a church once when we were ordering new communion trays. Many good people at our congregation didn’t accept cross emblems anywhere in the assembly, so when it came to ordering covers, we had to make a decision. It wasn’t being negative toward Christ or the cross, but how they interpreted scriptures when it came to symbols. We had three choices: Knobs, Christian crosses, or Maltese crosses. After a lengthy discussion, we chose the Maltese cross because it really didn’t look like a cross, and the knobs were too plain. As I look back on it, hours were spent on something that, to me, really didn’t matter in the Lord’s work, and only wasted a good bit of time. We often spend too much time discussing the mundane or trivial when we should be talking about reaching the lost and sharing how our hearts can be turned toward Jesus. 

Of course, one problem is deciding what issues are trivial and which are essential. Maybe we should discuss that sometime! Seriously, what’s unimportant to some may be important to others, so there will be times we have to sit through a conversation, hold our tongue, and let someone else discuss what is important to them, although it may seem like nothing to us. That’s what love does. That’s what respect for one another does. That’s what honoring our fellow Christians does.

I have sat through many conversations where discussions that I thought were trivial have taken place. But you know what? It probably just took a few minutes of my time to let someone else share their opinion. I’ve wasted more time watching television or goofing off than I have listening to the concerns of others. 

As Christians, we should look at things from two different angles. First, we should try to be careful not to become so self-centered that we impose our picky opinions or personal soapboxes. Second, when someone else brings up something I think is picky or trivial, I should honor them as a fellow servant who wants to weigh in on something important to them, like the communion tray conversation. To some, it was important, so we took the time to listen to the opinions of others. The decision to some may seem trivial, but it kept unity among the group. When it comes right down to it, we would do well to follow the advice of James, who wrote to be quick to hear and slow to speak. 

When it comes to giving time to listen to things we think are trivial, give some thought to what Paul wrote to the Romans. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.” Romans 12:9,10 (NASB)

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ