It’s Not O.K. To Stay Mad!

​One of the problems facing the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the often internal war that goes on between the saints of God. It is only normal that where there are two people at some point there is probably going to be di-vision, with one wanting to go one way and another going another. Divide two in the 7.5 billion people in the world today and it is no wonder that we have so much discord on our planet. However, among the church of God there should be sensitivity to the process set up in scripture to bring divisions into unity:

^15-17 "If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love. Matthew 18:15-17 (MSG)

While this text may seem too generic to apply to every situation where division occurs, the process can work in most instances. When you are hurt, or offended, or otherwise put at odds with your brother or sister, the first person who should know about it is the other person. Before they hear your point of view however, God should hear about it, and you need to give Him time to tell you what He thinks about the situation. Only when God gives the go ahead should you venture forth to talk to the other person. Timing is extremely important and God-timed interventions have an advantage – God has gone before you to smooth the rough waters. 

In the event you have prayed, been given the go-ahead by God, and then with humility and compassion gone to the person in question, and the person won’t hear you; it is then time to get other brothers and/or sisters to pray and possibly join you in appealing to that person. Of course, it is never easy to bring people before the church.

There are times however, when it’s not your brother, it’s you.  Oswald Chambers has this to say about some of the things that hinder us:

Do you have anything to hide from God? If you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don’t just admit it— confess it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master, whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?

"Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, "I will not give up my right to myself"— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ." The Go of Preparation by Oswald Chambers, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST

Sometimes the MAD is not with your brother, but at God who wants you to love your brother and submit to Jesus as Lord of your life!

Maria