"The Pivot Point" by Garris Elkins

Recently, I have been talking to believers about establishing their “pivot point”. A pivot point is that place where you put one of your feet conceptually and say, “This is my bottom line – I can't give this up."  There is not a lot that should occupy that spot.

The Early Church father, Clement, said, “In the essentials unity, in the non-essentials liberty and in all things love.” Clement was wise. He knew that as the Church developed, some people would start to get nervous if other believers did not live their faith in lock-step agreement with them.

I have always thought the essentials should be reserved for those things that had to do with the God and Jesus as the “way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but through me” kind of things. I want my feet firmly planted in those essentials because without them we don't have a biblical Christianity.

The power of having a pivot point is that I can pivot towards something new without disconnecting with the essentials and closing the door on expanding my circle of fellowship. I can pivot towards the Presbyterians and bring something Presbyterian back into my pivot point. I can pivot towards a healing revival and bring back a new level of faith from a Latter Rain revivalist. I can pivot towards a Catholic and bring back a new respect and reverence for the Lord's Table. As one pivots, with their belief in the essentials firm and unshakeable, spending time with different kinds of Christians is actually a lot of fun.