Living Life by Design

Years ago I was blessed to be an associate pastor at a church that I had been attending for over 10 years. The church also had a school and I was asked to lead worship on Friday mornings and serve as chapel pastor. Although both the church and school were growing, and everything looked great on the outside, there was tremendous infighting going among leadership. Because of this, in just a few years, we lost three senior pastors, the school closed down and the congregation dwindled to almost nothing. 

When sin entered the world, arguments, disputes and fighting began. Adam blamed Eve. Cain murdered his brother. The history of the world ever since has been one of conflict of all kinds. Sadly, the church has not been immune to this. Right from the start there have been arguments, disputes and infighting.

When people turn away from God, they start fighting one another. We see the breakdown of relationships wherever we look: broken marriages, broken homes, broken relationships at work, civil wars and wars between nations. 

Our words can be a life-giving force, bring great satisfaction and heal division: ‘Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest’ (Proverbs 18:20, MSG).

Yet words can also be a destructive force: ‘Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose’ (v.21, MSG). You can do great good or great damage by what you say.

There are certain matters over which we should be willing to fight to death – the truth of the gospel (that Christ died for us). The life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the Lordship of Christ are examples of what is non-negotiable.

However, there are other things that are not nearly as important. Today some Christians abstain from alcohol. Others do not. Some Christians are pacifists. Others are not. And there are many other issues where Christians are passionately divided about disputable matters.

Paul writes in Romans 14, ‘accept’ (the word means ‘welcome’) those ‘whose faith is weak’ (v.1) ‘Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do… Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God’ (vv.1,10, MSG).

Disputable matters are important, but not as important as what unites us all: ‘For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ (v.17). This is what really matters. Let us not get caught up in arguments about disputable matters, which divide the church and put off those outside the church.

Today, may we all be focused on what the kingdom of God is really about: righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.