Earlier this month, Christian singer-songwriter Forrest Frank made waves when he announced that he would not be attending the Dove Awards. In a social media post about his decision, the musician explained that it can be hard for Christians to know where to draw the line between being in the world but not of the world. Answering the question for himself, Frank offered this conclusion: “I’m convicted, personally, that a line that I can draw is that I will not receive a trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus.” Frank finished his message by stating his hope that his decision could “be an example to the youth that the trophy is our salvation.”
To the surprise of nobody who has spent more than two minutes on the internet, his announcement sparked some controversy. Many commended Frank for his decision and even called for other Christian artists to take a similar stance. Others condemned Frank for what they perceived as a hypocritical move from someone still receiving monetary compensation for his music. Still others offered a more nuanced take.
One such “middle-of-the-roadster” was Sadie Robertson, who praised Frank’s decision to follow his convictions while also expressing her own love of the Dove Awards that provide an opportunity to lift up the name of Jesus as a bright light in a dark culture. “I strongly believe in personal convictions and following any spirit checks you have,” Robertson shared in an Instagram post. “But just because he feels that personal conviction does not mean that the Dove Awards or anyone who goes to them or chooses to accept an award is doing anything wrong.”
I believe that Sadie Robertson’s take is exactly the right one. If Forrest Frank feels convicted to sit out award ceremonies, he is absolutely right to stay home. I appreciate his willingness to take this bold stand, and I admire the courage he displayed in following this conviction AND explaining his motives to many questioning fans who likely won’t understand or support his stance. At the same time, I find no fault with artists who do not share Frank’s convictions and who continue to engage in the Dove Awards and other similar events.
In a world that values strong stances and black-and-white answers, the concept of personal convictions can be a tricky one to navigate. But Scripture tells us that there ARE issues on which genuine Christians will not fully agree: the Bible does not offer clear guidance on every possible issue, and in areas that are open to personal interpretation, we are to follow our own convictions. In Romans 14:5, Paul puts it this way: “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” In other words, we SHOULD allow God’s Word—along with the Holy Spirit—to speak into our beliefs, and we should hold fast to those convictions. At the same time, we should leave room for the convictions of others. In his letter to the Romans, Paul goes on to explain: “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother” (Romans 14:13).
Another believer’s personal conviction is not an invitation to condemn their stance, nor is it a Biblical mandate to change our own stance to align with theirs. Instead, these differing opinions provide Christians with an opportunity to model charity towards other believers as we learn to live in unity and peace DESPITE these subtle differences.
Halloween is this week, and our family will be wholeheartedly enjoying all this holiday has to offer. We’ll dress in our matching family costumes and attend a festival or two. On the night before Halloween, we’ll carve silly faces into our pumpkins. And on Halloween night, we’ll go out trick-or-treating in our neighborhood before coming home to pass out candy to the neighborhood kids. We don’t engage in the scary or sinister parts of the holiday (we avoid haunted houses and horror movies), but I don’t have any qualms about celebrating the innocent parts of Halloween. However, many of our friends hold different convictions. Their kids won’t be dressing up this week, and they’ll go bowling or have movie nights in their pajamas while others are out collecting candy. My friends have not shamed our family for celebrating Halloween, and I honor their decision to avoid the holiday. Our convictions are different, and yet we continue to respect each other as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
As much as I’d like to end this post with this lovely example of Christians living in harmony amidst differing views, it would be irresponsible of me to leave things here. There’s one more aspect to all of this that we need to address, and that’s the issue of taking a “You Do You” stance too far. Please don’t misunderstand me with this. To be clear, I DO believe that condemning others for holding differing convictions on gray areas is wrong. As we’ve seen in the situation with Forrest Frank, many contemporary Christians are quick to find fault with the theology and actions of fellow believers, and this can become a breeding ground for the type of infighting that dulls the light of Christ to a watching world. Such petty disunity is a tool of the enemy that transforms convictions (good!) into unnecessary division (bad!).
BUT (here’s the sticky part): in our hesitancy to invite unhealthy disunity into the body of believers, we need to be wary of giving full-blown heresy a seat at the table. The Bible DOES have some gray areas, and that’s where those differing convictions come into play. However, the Bible is also crystal-clear on MANY issues, and we need to unite around these absolute truths! It’s good and right to whisper where the Bible whispers, but we need to shout where Scripture shouts! It’s important for Christians to 1) know the Bible so that we can differentiate heresy from truth and 2) unequivocally call out false teachings as we encounter them. We need to acknowledge and condemn sinful behavior, and we must be willing to address the messages and actions of fellow Christians who are clearly acting outside of Biblical teaching.
Of course this should be done in the most loving way possible; the goal here is to illuminate truth, NOT to bolster our own egos or shame those who spreading falsehoods or walking in sin. But I think it’s important that our quest for unity doesn’t negate the importance of truth. The world is watching, and we have an amazing opportunity to model love for God’s children while remaining intolerant of the lies and deception that can creep into our thinking.
