Created for Community
Recently I have witnessed some happenings with some close friends and have been called to pray for the situation. I have seen friends fall apart before and often times fear the same happening in my relationships. So as I prayed I asked God to turn the words of my lips from foolishness to wisdom with hope that I can bring some direction to the lives of my friends whether it be through my words, or my actions, or maybe just through the ridiculous distractions that permeate my life.
Shortly after this prayer God began to assemble in my mind a picture of what he desires of us.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love one another as yourself"
That's the greatest command. So what does this mean? I think if you were to follow the Bible's story from beginning to end, you'd find that the general theme throughout is God intervening with his people. And while we tend to focus on the concept of "God intervening", we neglect the importance of "God's people". Just as we focus our attention to "Love the Lord", we shy away from "Love one another".
The Lord brought to remembrance His Word that I had listened to twice during my commuting days (I had the whole bible in dramatized form in CD and tape format). He then began to assemble in my mind His will in my life. But the odd thing is that His plan has nothing to do with "My Life", but rather "Our Lives", that being the body of Christ, the church. In other words, we need to focus our attention away from "What can I do for God" to "What can we do for God".
To that end I have noticed the presence of many "I" and "me" in conversations with my friends and naturally myself. I think we as a society have become so accustom to looking out for ourselves, we have no idea how to live in community; the reason why we have been created.
So why is this applicable? Why am I writing this post? To answer these questions, lets look at another verse...
"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless." - Titus 3:9
I have seen those (in the past and the present) so adminant about the "law" that they completely destroy community... tearing apart churches, youth groups, friendships and families. I have been friends with people that became so legalistic and obsessed with keeping the law, that they have driven others away, all the while maintaining they were doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. I have seen these same people then be judged as harshly than those that they have judged. The sad thing is that most times all this dissession is rooted in a desire to help, but we must be constantly mindful of how our words and actions effect the community. In the end it causes a small crack to form, a fissure, a rift, a chasm that seperates us from who we were created to be in Christ.
Now I ask, how can such division among the hiers of God please God? How can this be love? What do we do to fix this issue? First I think we need to identify the source of the problem... to do that we can look again at Titus...
"Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is selfcondemned." - Titus 3:10-11
The key to this verse is the word "divisive", because you need to know what side of this relational equation is divisive (if you are to inform that person or group of the issue).
"Creating dissension or discord; dissenting (especially dissenting with the majority opinion)" - Dictionary.com
So I now ask you, independent of what is right and wrong... to look at your heart and determine if it creating disaccord in the people of God. I believe that getting along is much more important than being right. If you read the beginning of Titus 3, you'll find a theme that's also repeated throughout the Bible... the fact that it's not our works that make us hiers of God, but the abundant grace that flows from the seat of glory. Sure we can get all perfectionistic and try to be holy all by ourselves but we will ultimately fail. We instead need to think how we can foster community in order to actualize into the sons and daughters of God. Anything that is not helping us to love God or each other is worthless and should be tossed.
So in closing, if you are divisive and you know who you are, you have been warned. I do not want to come out and point finger because it is not my place to judge (unless God nudges me to do so). I pray that you will make your case and trust in the bonds and relationships that have been formed with dilegence; that you will be assured that it has not fallen upon deaf ears. Be careful to craft this advice so it is to the benefit of the other, to save him/her from hardship.
And to you that are on the receiving end of this divisiveness, I pray you listen and do all that is possible to grow the body of Christ and not destroy that which God has brought together. Be wise and listen to the experience of others, discerning what is good in order to become a pure man of God.
And to those that are observing all of this, I pray you will be fervent with your prayers for those in conflict that they may ascend above the human desires and tendencies of the flesh to become hiers with God and to make decisions with wisdom and love. And to all, love one another as yourself and in doing so continue to love God with all your ability.
Shortly after this prayer God began to assemble in my mind a picture of what he desires of us.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love one another as yourself"
That's the greatest command. So what does this mean? I think if you were to follow the Bible's story from beginning to end, you'd find that the general theme throughout is God intervening with his people. And while we tend to focus on the concept of "God intervening", we neglect the importance of "God's people". Just as we focus our attention to "Love the Lord", we shy away from "Love one another".
The Lord brought to remembrance His Word that I had listened to twice during my commuting days (I had the whole bible in dramatized form in CD and tape format). He then began to assemble in my mind His will in my life. But the odd thing is that His plan has nothing to do with "My Life", but rather "Our Lives", that being the body of Christ, the church. In other words, we need to focus our attention away from "What can I do for God" to "What can we do for God".
To that end I have noticed the presence of many "I" and "me" in conversations with my friends and naturally myself. I think we as a society have become so accustom to looking out for ourselves, we have no idea how to live in community; the reason why we have been created.
So why is this applicable? Why am I writing this post? To answer these questions, lets look at another verse...
"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless." - Titus 3:9
I have seen those (in the past and the present) so adminant about the "law" that they completely destroy community... tearing apart churches, youth groups, friendships and families. I have been friends with people that became so legalistic and obsessed with keeping the law, that they have driven others away, all the while maintaining they were doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. I have seen these same people then be judged as harshly than those that they have judged. The sad thing is that most times all this dissession is rooted in a desire to help, but we must be constantly mindful of how our words and actions effect the community. In the end it causes a small crack to form, a fissure, a rift, a chasm that seperates us from who we were created to be in Christ.
Now I ask, how can such division among the hiers of God please God? How can this be love? What do we do to fix this issue? First I think we need to identify the source of the problem... to do that we can look again at Titus...
"Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is selfcondemned." - Titus 3:10-11
The key to this verse is the word "divisive", because you need to know what side of this relational equation is divisive (if you are to inform that person or group of the issue).
"Creating dissension or discord; dissenting (especially dissenting with the majority opinion)" - Dictionary.com
So I now ask you, independent of what is right and wrong... to look at your heart and determine if it creating disaccord in the people of God. I believe that getting along is much more important than being right. If you read the beginning of Titus 3, you'll find a theme that's also repeated throughout the Bible... the fact that it's not our works that make us hiers of God, but the abundant grace that flows from the seat of glory. Sure we can get all perfectionistic and try to be holy all by ourselves but we will ultimately fail. We instead need to think how we can foster community in order to actualize into the sons and daughters of God. Anything that is not helping us to love God or each other is worthless and should be tossed.
So in closing, if you are divisive and you know who you are, you have been warned. I do not want to come out and point finger because it is not my place to judge (unless God nudges me to do so). I pray that you will make your case and trust in the bonds and relationships that have been formed with dilegence; that you will be assured that it has not fallen upon deaf ears. Be careful to craft this advice so it is to the benefit of the other, to save him/her from hardship.
And to you that are on the receiving end of this divisiveness, I pray you listen and do all that is possible to grow the body of Christ and not destroy that which God has brought together. Be wise and listen to the experience of others, discerning what is good in order to become a pure man of God.
And to those that are observing all of this, I pray you will be fervent with your prayers for those in conflict that they may ascend above the human desires and tendencies of the flesh to become hiers with God and to make decisions with wisdom and love. And to all, love one another as yourself and in doing so continue to love God with all your ability.
posted by Jason Kichline at 6:22 PM
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