If you want a good time, you should put an Independant Baptist and a Southern Baptist in the same room and ask them what they think of each other. Hours of endless entertainment. And you don’t have to use Baptists. You can use any denominational group that thinks they’re better than everybody else. Frankly, just pick two people who claim to be followers of Christ, lock them in a room together, and see what happens. I’m pretty sure there will be fireworks within the hour.
Why?
Because Christians are the hardest people in the world to get along with. And most of the time we don’t even get along with each other.
I don’t know if it’s just Satan picking at us, convincing us that we’re better than each other, creating disharmony like he’s so talented at doing. I don’t know. That would fit his M.O. All I know is that usually the people I get the most frustrated with are believers. And I’m pretty positive I irritate the dickens out of people too.
I don’t think most Christians intentionally mean to create conflict with each other. I do think Satan plays a hand in some of it. But I also think we expect too much of each other, and I also think we expect too little of each other . . . if that makes any sense.
In any case, Christians shouldn’t fight. We should be united. It doesn’t matter what our denomination is. It doesn’t matter how differently we dress from each other. It doesn’t matter how differently we worship from each other. It doesn’t matter if one church does AWANA and another church doesn’t. It doesn’t matter if one church only sings hymns and another church only sings contemporary songs.
The only thing that matters is what you do with Jesus Christ. Those who follow Him are family, and family needs to get along.
I think it’s funny that Christians have always struggled with getting along, as is evidenced by today’s verse.
Romans 15:5-6
5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even the Christians in early Rome must have had trouble, it sounds like. This verse just points out the reason why we all need to work together.
We’re all here for a reason. God left us here for a purpose. He’s got something for us to do, otherwise we wouldn’t still be here. So instead of picking on each other, instead of only seeing each others’ faults and failures, instead of focusing on why we don’t like each other, let’s live in harmony together. Those of us who follow Christ should love each other, forgive each other, make allowances for each others’ faults . . . because Lord knows we have enough faults of our own.
And when we can do that, we will be able to worship God together. United. With one voice. One focus. One purpose.
If we can all get along, who knows what God can do through us? Two thousand years ago, 12 men who loved Jesus and were willing to work together turned the world upside down. I’m pretty sure there are more than 12 believers in the world today. So what would happen if all the Christians on Earth decided to stop focusing on our petty differences and put all of our attention on God? What would happen if together in one voice we asked God to do something incredible? What would happen if together we all did what God is calling us to do? What if we supported each other instead of tearing each other apart?
I don’t think the world has ever seen that. I know I never have.
The possibilities are as limitless as God Himself is. And He’s just waiting for us to take the first step.
Always Peachy 