Are You Open Minded?

I was reflecting on this verse in Acts about the Bereans,

Acts 17:11 (GW)
¹¹ The people of Berea were more open-minded than the people of Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive God’s message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true.

I always wanted to be like the Bereans. And thought that I was, because I examined the Scriptures daily to see if the things I believed were true. However this time, I was convicted by a couple of words in this verse that I had overlooked before. It says that they were more “open-minded because they were willing to receive the word they heard” and then went home and daily examined the Scriptures to see if those things that they had already heard and received were true. 

I had to honestly ask myself “Am I willing to receive things I don’t know or believe?” My conclusion was No I am not. I have always processed everything I heard through the filter of my own knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. Although it seemed right, it was arrogant. According to this verse, I was not open-minded nor willing to receive. And consequently I was never open-minded to new ideas or thoughts. Did I really think that I knew everything? 

Now I try to receive what I hear first with willingness, then I go home and search the Scriptures to see if what I heard was true. This allows me to be open-minded to new ideas and thoughts and still have sound biblical doctrine for my beliefs. And as a result I have been able to accept new ideas and have new understanding of the things about God and His Word. And having examined the Scriptures, my faith is increased and I know whether the things are true or not. This would have never happened if I had only been willing to receive what I already knew.