Are You a Part of the Solution?

     No church ever escapes problems, struggles, disagreements or hurdles in this life and it is never more evident than today.  Our culture has moved away from the Judeo-Christian heritage that at one time was the foundation for our society.  Some of this has resulted in a very “me” oriented way of thinking and doing life.  As a result, we find ourselves, like the Corinthians, dealing with the results of people coming to follow Christ who have had no background in the Bible or church attendance.  This means there is a need to teach the Word with great love and patience to bring an end to confusion.

     In chapter one of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul starts out thanking God for the church and the testimony of Christ that is there.  However, he addresses the reports that there are divisions in this thriving body.  Verse 10 says:  “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united.”  We know, as we follow the letter, that many things have caused hurt and disruption among them; so Paul goes about teaching them biblical truths to strengthen them.  Their culture, like ours, had many pagans who had no background at all in knowing God’s Word and how to grow in their new found faith.  Thus, Paul took his time and taught them as you would an infant teaching them little by little (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).  Then, as they grew in strength, Paul worked to lay a foundation of Jesus Christ that this church could build upon it.  So what does this model teach us as we deal with issues in our modern day fellowships?  

     When we see an area of weakness or struggle, it is so easy to criticize it.  We may grumble or complain that we wish this or that would change, but do we do anything about it?  I had a college professor who used to ask, “Are you part of the problem, or part of the solution?”.  This is a good question.  Paul saw problems in the church and did not want to see this fellowship that was growing come to ruins.  In his case, he wrote letters to affirm what was good but also to correct areas of dispute.  Of course, he had a position of authority as an Apostle, and we may say that as a church member we do not have that kind of ability to correct something.  However, there are things we can do to help the body grow in unity and agreement as Paul desired for the body of believers.

     If we see areas where there is something lacking, we can pray about it.  This should be obvious, but we often forget what a powerful tool this is in the Lord.  God has the wisdom, answers and guidance we need, so we must look to Him first.  Jesus said in Matthew 17:20:  “And He said to them, 'Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard see, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.’”  Many problems are resolved as we take them before the Lord.  He can change our hearts to see things differently or He can change and open doors that were closed.  So prayer should be our first place to take our concerns.

     Secondly, we must remember that we are a family, and families may have disagreements.  When they do, we have many resources we can go to in seeking resolution.  The Bible is our foundation for truth.  This should be our first place to seek wisdom.  Likewise, we need not be afraid to talk with those who are in authority…our pastors, our leaders or those directly involved in

an area of our concern.  If we do not communicate, how will they know?  In our fellowship with others, we are meant to grow.  As Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  Perhaps the area that is bothering us could be something designed to make us grow and not necessarily something to annoy us.  By praying, reading the Word and talking with those in authority,  we will find the answer and peace of heart.

     Finally, seek the Lord as to how we may be used by Him to remedy the problem area.  Would God have us  teach a class, volunteer to help in some way or merely pray?  How can we be a solution to an issue?  Everyone is created in God’s image, but not everyone has the same gift, calling or personality that we do.  There will be times we bump into each other but this is a chance to exercise grace.  We need to make certain that we are not part of the problem or contributing to it but are part of God’s solution.  

     Paul sought to bring unity and not division to the church in Corinth.  He did so with loving rebuke, encouragement and teaching.  He prayed for them too.  How will God use us to bring unity to the Body?  May we be the peacemakers in our fellowships that God may get the glory!  Selah!

What a Friend we Have in Jesus

     One of my favorite hymns is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.  Those words echo in my mind so often when the day has been a tough one:  “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear: What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!  O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”  No truer words were ever penned than by Joseph Medlicott Scriven in 1855 and they are still very true today. Of course, these words, indicating friendship with Christ, are biblical.

     In John 15:12-17 Jesus tells his disciples:  “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just

as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.  No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.  This I command you, that you love one another.”  What a beautiful picture of friendship is found in these verses that we should aspire to as believers.

     First, Jesus tells us to love one another because that is the essence of friendship.  He demonstrated for us His total commitment by laying down His life that our sins could be forgiven. Likewise, Jesus desires that His disciples, no matter how different we all are from one another, love each other. We should be willing to sacrifice to help each other because He knows we would face the challenges of walking in this fallen world.  Now in some cases, there may be things we don’t like about someone, but we are commanded to love one another despite that.  After all, we are all a work in progress under the guidance of the blessed Holy Spirit that lives within us. Certainly, no one is perfect yet. So if we would be a friend of Jesus, we must keep this command.

     Secondly, Jesus, through His Word, has made known to us how the Father desires for us to live.  After all, Jesus clearly said in His high priestly prayer “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).  How sad that we often neglect to read the Bible on a daily, regular basis.  It contains our instructions for living.  Jesus, who calls us friends, has shared with us all we need for life and godliness and it has been recorded by the men who walked with Him so that we might know His will for our lives.  In any friendship, there is good communication between two parties.  This is how we learn to love one another.  However, we are missing out on our end of the friendship when we neglect to learn and grow both by reading the Bible and praying it as well.  I often find great comfort when I pray the Psalms.  They are written for our edification and instruction.

     Of course, prayer is one of the best ways to deepen that friendship with God. Talking to Him each day and even throughout our activities gives us greater peace and closeness to our Lord.  Friends that don’t talk to each other honestly aren’t going to have a very good relationship now are they?  The hymn I quoted above reminds us to take our burdens, our griefs and heartaches as well as our praise to God.  He is always willing to listen and as one person reminded me: “He is the best wireless connection we can have.”  

     Finally, we are to bear fruit in our lives as friends of Jesus.  What are those fruits?  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23a).  These fruits are evident in all we do whether it is work, relationships with others and especially in our family.  This proves that we belong to the Lord and walk in His way.  We are to even extend our love to our enemies according to the Word of God.  That is not an easy task but it is the very thing that Jesus did for us: “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  Jesus is the friend who laid down his life for his brothers and sisters while we were still His enemies lost in sin.  He desires that we do the same….go the extra mile….reach out in love even to our enemies.

     Without the Holy Spirit living in us as believers in Christ, we cannot keep this command to love others and to lay aside “self” desires.  We will fall short.  However, Christ in us makes it possible to live out the love for others…even our enemies.  Let us work on developing that friendship with the Lord made possible by the blood sacrifice of Christ through study of His Word, prayer, and bearing fruit as He commanded that we may hear Him say one day: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…” (Matt. 25:23).  Selah!

“Why Don’t You Try Reading the Directions?"

       When I was in college, I took time to read directions when taking tests, writing a research paper or what materials I needed to complete a course.  However, I have since dispensed with reading directions often to my detriment.  Upon getting a new gadget, I read how to set it up and the bare minimums but after that, I file away the booklet until I need it (such as when something doesn’t work any more).  My husband often reminds me that it would be advisable to read “all” the directions to get the most out of my new gadget.  Nevertheless, I persist in this bad habit, and on vacation, I discovered how silly it is to neglect this.

     While we were away on vacation with the family, I took our coffee bean grinder with me so I

could make coffee each day.  Fresh ground coffee beans have such a great aroma.  Well, one morning, I was getting ready to make a second pot and when I went to grind my coffee beans, the grinder came apart.  I thought it was broken somehow.  Then, my son, who had used it last, said “No Mom, its not broken.  It comes apart so you can dump the grounds out easier.  Then, you put it together again and just twist it.”  He was right!!!  My husband laughed and said that is precisely why I need to read the directions.  For two years now, I have been turning the entire grinder upside down to shake out the grounds when I could have just lifted the cup out and dumped them. Life could have been so much easier when making coffee if I had just taken the time to learn more about my grinder.

     In the same way, we as believers in Christ have been given a wonderful instruction book in the Bible.  The Lord who created us did not want us to wander in the dark never knowing Him or the truth about ourselves. Within its pages, we learn about how the world was created, how humankind fell into sin, and the promise of a long awaited Redeemer who would restore our close relationship to God.  Yet, how many people read this most vital instruction book?  

     According to the Barna Group who works with the American Bible Society, “Just over one-third of U.S. adults (34%) reads the Bible once a week or more, while half (50%) read the Bible less than twice a year (including ‘never’)...Overall, one in six U.S. adults (16%) reads the Bible most days during the week, up from 12 percent in 2020” (www.barna.com/research/sotb-2021). Looking at the statistics, there seem to be many who do not see the need to look into God’s instruction book for living. 

     God tells us clearly what looking into the Bible can do for us.  2 Timothy 3:16 says:  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”  Furthermore, when it comes to the battles we face in life against the enemy of our souls (Satan), one of the weapons of our warfare is the “sword of the Spirit” (the Word of God Ephesians 6:17).  If we do not know the Word, how can we combat the lies of this world system under the enemy’s control?  Finally, the Bible helps us see who we are and helps us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  Hebrews 4:12 says:  “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  When we examine our lives in the light of His Word, we can see more clearly where we need to grow.

     2 Peter 1:3 tells us that God has given to us all we need for life and godliness.  We find it in His Word which is His completed revelation to us and the foundation of our faith. Therefore, let us be faithful in reading this instruction book of life on a daily basis. It will renew us, and help us as pilgrims in this world to walk in a manner that glorifies God.

Selah!