Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace– Ephesians 4:3
I get tired of trying to explain why so-and-so dropped out of church when I don’t know— they don’t have the common courtesy to contact the pastor and explain their actions. But you can bet they will howl like a hound hit with a rock if he doesn’t show up to coddle them. I’ve discovered that most people is a situation like that aren’t looking for a solution–they just want to vent. If they really cared about solving “the problem” they would be seeking a solution instead of rudely withdrawing themselves from the church. Maintaining unity in the church takes work. Merely complaining about the faults of others is not a solution. Here’s some good advice from the daily devotion “A Good Thing”:
“Embedded in the word endeavor is the idea of effort, struggle, taking pains to reach a specific goal. For the church of Jesus Christ to succeed and be a witness in the world for good, it is necessary that we strive, to the point of exhaustion, for peace and unity within the body. We are never to give up this noble goal.
Too often we are ready at the smallest provocation to give up, or to beat up, on another member of the church. We take offense and so we give offense. But that is not the way followers of Christ—Who was slapped, beaten, scourged, and killed without ever striking back—are to behave ourselves.
Through the strength of the Spirit of Christ, which is in each of His children and which empowers the church as a whole, we know that we can overcome any obstacle, forgive any offense, release any grudge, and love any sinner. It is this Spirit-led, Spirit-induced unity—not the false unity of spiritual compromise or false pretenses—that we are to labor for with supernatural determination and exertion.
So, who do you need to forgive right now? What effort do you need to make towards reconciliation with a brother or sister? Do it now for Christ’s sake.”
