2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
In this series of messages, the Lord is guiding me through a subject very close to my heart, our congregations. I suspect that one reason this is so important to me is the geographical and religious separation that exists between my natural relatives and Pete and me. We didn’t have a choice in that situation, but God has been using it over the years and through our many moves to teach us just how very important our church congregation is in our lives. I can testify that our church is far more than just a place to go on Sundays; it is our “church home” where we are part of a “family” of believers with Jesus Christ at its head. We are blessed to say that we are part of the Body of Christ!
Allow me to continue looking at the sage and clear directives God has given us for how to interact with the others in our congregations. RO 12: 16, “Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Do not think of yourselves as wise.” I have a friend who I met in the women’s Bible study group that meets on Wednesdays. Our relationship has grown from being polite acquaintances to a deeply warm “sisterhood.” I know that God has brought her into my life to demonstrate what true faith in Him can do for a person. My friend had brain surgery to correct the seizures she had suffered throughout her whole life. I was her listening ear during the process of making the decision to have this surgery. Afterward while in the recovery room, my friend had a stroke. When Pete and I went to the hospital the next day, what we saw scared us. She was unconscious, hooked up to all kinds of medical equipment, and one side of her body was paralyzed. We tried to comfort my friend’s husband and daughter as we joined them in their vigil. Something only God can do happened in the ensuing month. My friend was brought back to health, and a very special friendship was cemented. Today, she leads a very normal life and is anxiously awaiting the day in the next 17-18 months when she can retire from her job. Now, I’m sure you are wondering where I am going with this, so let me make my point. This angel in my life wants nothing more than to serve others. She takes her turn watching the babies in our church nursery, visits a mutual friend who is dying of breast cancer, has signed up to volunteer to help unwed mothers, and was a constant & attentive visitor to her elderly aunt while the latter was in a nursing home. There is no task too small for her. She sets an example for me and for anyone who knows her of what it means to be a Christian. If you were to meet her, you would know that her life (and mine) has been blessed by her willingness to be God’s obedient servant. Think about all the people whose lives are benefited by these simple acts of service done by only one person. We need to look at our own lives to see what kind of ripples go out from the pebbles we drop in the water.
The magnificent chapter which is RO 12 ends with the following directives from God. RO 12: 17-21, “If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God’s anger do it. For the Scripture [DT 32: 35] says, ‘I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord.’ Instead, as the Scripture [PR 25: 21-22] says, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will make him burn with shame.’ Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.” The wisdom of these words can never be understated. They ask us to go against our nature to obey, just as many of God’s directives do. The consequences of not obeying them can be catastrophic. It has come about in too many families that someone’s feelings got hurt, and a chasm was dug that could never be repaired, because the parties involved decided to hold a grudge. I have even seen this taken to the extreme in which people have stopped having anything to do with each other for the rest of their lives. What a waste! In my heart I know that God never intended that families should be split apart this way. Yet, the reality is that it happens. When it does, precious moments like when a grandparent spends time with his/her grandchild never happen. Cousins whose lives could have been enriched by each other’s presence in them never get the chance to benefit from this closeness. Children and their parents are ripped apart. The same problem breaks valuable friendships too. This in not God’s way.
The question is what can be done to prevent this kind of sinfulness? Of course, we can begin by praying. We can ask God for His advice and His protection. He gave us His Son on the cross, so that we could enjoy His forgiveness eternally. We can ask for that same forgiveness for the wrongdoers in our lives. We are told never to take revenge, that the Lord will deal with that. When we consider that we have been told not to judge, that Christ will do that, a great weight has been lifted off of our shoulders and transferred to the only shoulders broad and strong enough to hold it. The same thing is true of taking revenge. We need to give that over to the Lord right along with the judgments we think we want to make. I can testify (without giving details to preserve the privacy of those involved) that the Lord really does see that justice will be done. I have seen that happen without any action on my part to a wrongdoer in my life. This almost never happens as quickly as the person wronged wants it to, but it happens in the Lord’s time. We need to believe that our limited human perspective doesn’t always see how perfect the Lord’s time really is, but believe it-His timing is perfect!
Before leaving the subject of the angry feelings we have toward the wrongdoers in our lives, it is appropriate to see how those angry feelings affect our lives and those around us. When we hold in anger, especially in the form of a grudge, we open ourselves to ulcers, short tempers, impatience, and other forms of sin. RO 14: 13, “So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make your brother stumble or fall into sin.” Another way of saying this is that we should never do anything that will diminish the faith of another person. The example that we set is observed first by God, Who always knows the content of our hearts, and also by everyone else who comes in contact with us. Our faith and the blessings that come from it are privileges we have been given by our loving Father in heaven. Privileges always come with responsibilities. The responsibility in this situation is to set an example of Godliness for the others around us. We need to learn how to channel the energy that comes from our anger to Godly, constructive purposes. Notice that I didn’t say, bury that anger or pretend like it doesn’t exist. Doing those things is destructive. God wants our behavior to be constructive. When we choose to find a Godly way to deal with the wrongdoers in our lives, others who see this are blessed by the example we set for them. Their faith is encouraged, and so is our own. That is what obedience to God can do in our lives.
PRAYER: O Lord, help us to understand that our lives are often examples that affect the lives of others. When we obey You, we and others are blessed by that. We may never even know the people whose lives are changed by something we do. Thank You for making Your advice available to us when wrongdoing or controversies come into our lives. Let us never forget that You want us to seek You out for leadership and advice. We dedicate ourselves to obeying You. You are to be praised, honored, and adored for Your presence in our lives. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will begin looking at some of the other Scriptures that deal with God’s view of our congregations. I find such great encouragement as I see the revelations that come from our loving Abba through His Word and hope you do too. It is so comforting to know He is in our lives. Peter and I send you our love.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn