Saturday, June 04, 2005

I can't come to a conclusion about unity.

This past year in BSF, we studied the Acts of the Apostles, reading Acts and several NT letters. The one theme that kept jumping out at me was the idea of unity. The apostles continually reminded believers to be unified, to not become distracted by ideas that could cause divisions between them. Paul told the Ephesians, "Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace" (4.2-3 NLT).

I like that phrase, make allowance for each other's faults. Why do we get so bent out of shape over people's human tendancies? We all have faults, but I guess in order to make ourselves feel better, we like to think that our faults aren't as bad as someone else's faults. I've been plenty guilty of this, and that's a fault in itself; it's just a part of being human, I suppose.

What's interesting is that what I might consider a fault in a person, someone else might consider a good quality in that person. So if I go badmouthing that person for his or her "fault," I am offending the people who like that person, and I am guilty of not controlling my tongue, making my religion worthless and creating the risk of starting a virtual forest fire, as James would say.

Just because we are all human with our own selfish tendencies, one little remark can cause severe disunity in a body of believers. How sad. But what's even sadder to me is that we don't really seem to want to overcome this tendency. We want our way, and we want everyone else to do it our way too. Examples: Churches split up all the time over issues that shouldn't even be important--like what style of worship to have; Christian friends get mad at each other over politics--church politics and government politics; we hold to certain doctrines that may or may not be perfectly correct scripturally and ostracize those who don't agree. The list goes on. We create and perpetuate divisions because we'd rather be right than unified. In reality, the spiritual lives of Christians sometimes aren't that much better than the spiritual lives of those outside the church because we go on creating chaos for ourselves. No wonder so many unbelievers remain unbelievers.

OK, the English teacher in me says that now I'm supposed to write a conclusion paragraph, but right now I can't come to a conclusion, so I think I'll get up and get some more coffee.

10 comments:

Tony Arnold said...

We want it our way, and we want everyone else to do it our way too.

Control, control, control. So many of our problems are caused by wanting to control things or having a false sense of control. I fight this everyday. Ironically, the key to finding Christ is giving up control. Then why do Christians have such control issues?

I like your blog too, JMG. It is now saved as a favorite.

Tony
Tony's Blog

JMG said...

Yes, "control" is the word. In the secular world, control equals power. A Christian's power should come from the Holy Spirit.

jettybetty said...

Great comments--I have been thinking along similar lines--perhaps a different angle. (eeekkk, please forgive my writing, I am not an English prof--and I love hyphens!)
Blessings!
JB

JMG said...

I have a weakness for hyphens myself!

jettybetty said...

JMG, I found your website from your responses over at Evangelical Update--on family planning.
I felt a bond with you because I taught at the college level for several years--and never cared to have children. I LOVED teaching that age. However, I fell in love with (and married) a man, who did want children--so we compromised on 1 child. God has a sense of humor--we had twins the first preganancy! So, I had one child for about 12 min, while I was in labor for #2.
Also, I don't know where you are in TN, but we have a daughter (one of the twins!) finishing up a MA at the U of TN--some time soon--we hope--so we have developed an affection for TN.
I will add you to my list of favorites and visit you often--if you don't mind.
And thanks for accepting the hyphens--I think they drive some people crazy!
Blessings!
JB

JMG said...

Thanks for stopping by, JB! Please visit and comment often. I'm actually kind of surprized to have this much traffic this soon. I was over at your blog this morning, and I'll be back when I have a little more time to read.

I am about 200 miles from your daughter at UT. Aren't college students great?!

How funny about your twins! I'm glad it's you and not me. :-)

jettybetty said...

JMG,
I still LOVE college students and I haven't taught in 24 years now. Of course, we have 3 of our own right now--did I mention hubby wanted 1 BOY and we had twin girls?
When we retire, one of my dreams will be to go to a university/college town and just volunteer with a Christian ministry. All 3 of ours have been so blessed by the ones they are involved in.
Are there Christian ministries where you teach?
BTW, I love BSF! Isn't it incredible?
JB

JMG said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
JMG said...

Hey JB,
I was in BSF this year with the assistant director of Campus Crusade for Christ on our campus. She tells me that there are a lot of students that attend weekly meetings, and she does a bible study for college women. We also have ministries from several different denominations for our students to attend. I am not active in any of them--my schedule is pretty full as it is--but every now and then I have students who will stop by the office and talk about different stuff. It's really great to interact with them on a more personal level and talk with them about things that I can't discuss in class.

BSF has been great! This was my second year. Everybody in my group who attended last year was glad to be out of the OT and into some reading that was a little "easier" but I learned a lot in the study of the minor prophets last year, and I'm really looking forward to Genesis next year. I just wish it went on into the summer as well.

jettybetty said...

JMG,
I have added you to my favorites--I will be checking back in on you to see how your summer goes.
Sounds like there are a lot a great ministries on your campus! Some day I would love to just be a full time volunteer in one!
Genesis is the one BSF study I have not done--I am not certain if I will do it in the fall or not. The last year I have been involved with Beth Moore studies at my home church--so I will just wait to see where God leads in the fall! BSF helped me learn to "study" the Bible more than anything I have ever done!
JB