Some hills are worth dying on. The deity of Christ. The authority of Scripture. The gospel itself. These are worth arguing over. But not every hill is one of them.

Apostle Paul warns Pastor Timothy in 2 Timothy 2: “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.” Notice what’s at stake — not just the arguers, but the hearers. Word-quarrels don’t just waste time. They wreck people, even those just watching.

A church known for splitting hairs over trivial and tertiary things becomes a church that’s totally ineffective. Nobody wants to join. Meaningless disputes drain energy meant for mission. They turn shepherds into debaters and sheep into spectators. Meanwhile, the lost stay lost while believers squabble over things that don’t amount to a hill of beans.

Beloved, guard the essentials fiercely. For instance, hold the gospel with a closed fist. We will argue all day for it. And there is room for friendly debate around secondary issues like modes of baptism or church governance. But keep tertiary things open-handed. These are the doctrines that shouldn’t divide anybody.

Refuse to let unnecessary quarrels become the thing your church is known for. Some battles build the church. Others just ruin it. Beloved, don’t die on the wrong hill.

Change begins in you!