Christians, what does one do when they are " tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine"?

Many people take the Bible far too literally. They think it is the actual spoken word of God. I disagree with that. God speaks to our very souls but not with words. His spirit speaks to us with feelings. Some people call it a conscience. We get the feeling something is very right or maybe not so right this way. Sure our parents hopefully teach us right from wrong but even without actually knowing we still can feel one way or another. The Bible was written by men putting what God has taught them into words by use of parables and sermons. Not every story in the Bible is an actual event. Many are just lessons to be learned. Sometimes I believe those writers misunderstood what the feelings God gave them or they just put down their own beliefs and that is why there are many contradictions in the Bible. Translation from the original Hebrew or Latin also causes problems. The Bible is a guide only. If you really want to know what God wants you to do - listen to your heart, That is where he lives.