10 By the
authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my brothers and
sisters, to agree in what you say,
so that there will be no divisions among you. Be completely united, with only one thought and one purpose.
Thoughts:
I bet that as you read the above verse you may have thought that
it was something that I came up with concerning your church, or perhaps telling
you gossip from my church, right? I agree with you friends, however this is obviously
one of those verses that Christians today throw over their shoulders and let it
go on to apply to the church on the next block for whom it was truly written!!
In our secular jobs we often remark that the most challenging part of our job
is dealing with the people/staff. I would imagine that for our pastors the most
challenging part of leading a small, or a large church is the same – dealing with
the folk who cause upheaval that could quickly lead to division. Paul addressed
two important areas that we should consider as we think about what we might do
to prevent division:
1.
To
agree in what you say – I believe that if we did like one pastor suggested when he
said “Let the main thing be the main thing” then we would quickly refocus our minds,
and subsequently our conversation, to the mighty works of God among the congregation;
the Word of God that speaks to us in powerful ways today, as it did in the days
we read about in the Word; the blessings that God has bestowed on us instead of
the small aches and pains that we might feel; the great teachers that God has
provided to share knowledge with us instead of the small insignificant, humanly
faults they may have; and the heartfelt desire to see our family members saved;
and
2.
Be
completely united – Do you know what happens in marriages when a husband and wife
cannot be completely united in one thought and purpose? Don’t you imagine that
the same thing would happen if we bring that type of behavior into the church? Independent
thinking is important friend, but in a heart of compassion and love and caring about
the good of others, we must learn to be understanding, appreciative and patient
in what others have to say also. We are not all at the same maturity level, so
sometimes we will find that someone else may have a different idea about a
topic than we do. They may not be wrong – in fact they may be trying to say the
same things as you are saying, just using different terminology. We must learn
to not only talk, but also to listen, and try to appreciate the heart of the person
speaking.
I heard a preacher approach this subject recently and he advised
that should a third party be brought up in a conversation you are having with another
church member, stop the conversation until such time that the other party could
join you in the conversation! Great advice to avoid the issues that Paul was addressing
with the Corinthian church, and to help with the unity of our churches today!
These are tips on how we can help keep unity in our church today, are you willing
to do your part friend? Let’s ask God for the strength to do His will, even in our
relationships with others who should know better!
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for Your patience with Your people as we try to
get along here on this earth and live in such a way that we would be a witness
of You to our lost family and friends. Lord, please remind us often that we
will never impact the lost when we act just like them. If we are different, and
if we belong to the King of Love, the King of compassion and the King of all Kings
then it is time for us to leave the things of this world behind and center our
hearts and minds on You, and not our personal desires and selfish ways. More of
You in this old world will force out the ways of Satan that has become so prevalent,
even among Christians. Please have Your will in my life dear Lord, and may my friends
also see the need for a similar prayer today, is my humble plea, that I ask in the
precious name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, AMEN!
NOTE: If you have been
challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak
with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can
pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue
your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song
that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and
listen as you continue to read or pray.
No comments:
Post a Comment