Suffering Strife

This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture that rejects fear and champions faith. It emphasizes the importance of love, peace, and unity in the church and in our daily lives. It encourages us to treat others with kindness and understanding, even if we disagree with them. Ultimately, it reminds us that God's love is unconditional and that we should strive to love others in the same way. Welcome to Fear No Fear. Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit embrace you today. This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture. We reject fear in any and all forms. Fear is a spiritual force, the currency of darkness and ignorance. It's what we inherited when Adam gave up his faith and Satan uses it to keep people down. His only weapon is words. If he can get you believing or looking at words of fear, he's got you. Instead, we champion faith as an allegiance to God, as a belief and trust and loyalty to the Lord God Almighty. We accept the evidence of His word as unvarnished truth, as is, just as it's written. We get close to His perfect love through the word, and perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4.18 All scripture is taken from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Visit eBible.org Acts 7.26 The day following, He appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another? This is from Stephen's great sermon in front of the Jewish ruling body. He's going through all the scriptures, the whole history of the Jewish people, showing them how it all points to Jesus as the Messiah. Sometimes I wonder if this is a short version of the sermon Jesus gave on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24.13-35 In today's verse, Stephen has come to young Moses. He's a child in the palace of Pharaoh, a young man, really. He's had military victories. He knows his history as a Jew. He feels the call to be the one who saves his people, and he's started what he thinks is the process to save them. The day before this verse, he killed an Egyptian who was abusing an Israelite. He struck the first blow of freedom. In this verse, it's the next day, and he sees two Israelites fighting. He's come to them, separated them, and is asking them why they're not getting along. In the next verse, one of them asks Moses, What are you going to do? Kill us? Not exactly a promising start to redemption. Moses was going about things wrong. He was trying to force things. He was using violence to remove barriers. He wasn't resting in the Lord. He was using weapons of fear to do the work of peace. The two Israelites were also using fear. They were full of strife. Two slaves, foreigners in this country, where they should have been bonding together, supporting each other, and looking for ways to make it through their oppressed lives. They were trying to kill each other. They were at each other's throats. When Moses went to intervene, they turned on him with the same spirit of fear. Nobody involved in this situation was looking to God. Nobody was doing things God's way. And sadly, this is the state of the church today in many places. Don't judge lest we be judged. With the same measure we give out, it will be given to us. Do unto others as you would have them do to you, whatever you so you reap. These are familiar platitudes we seem to learn in Sunday school and then spout to everyone we run into. Christian pebbles of wisdom. They are so much of the landscape. We think of them as spiritual principles, golden rules to put on the wall. But not use in everyday life. Yet the biggest problem in the church is judgment. We judge each other all the time. That singing isn't as good as it could be. That service was okay, but it didn't really feed. What a lovely outfit, but it didn't hide anything. They seem like nice people, but I saw them last week and... And it goes on and on. Large things and small, we judge. Why doesn't that one walk in their healing? Why does this one never close their eyes for the prayers? The disciples did this too. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? John 9, 2. We're always coming at each other. Sadly, we can feel like we're doing the Lord's work as we do it. But God wouldn't like this. God wouldn't teach that. Our denomination is right. That teaching is wrong. There's no niceties. There's no discussion. No elders of the church seeking to test, correct, or seek the Spirit. Nope. Just conflict, dislike, striking out against each other, strife. You know, the Lord tells us in Isaiah 54, 15, that those coming against us aren't sent by Him. He isn't about strife. When God sends someone to correct, they're there to correct, but also to glorify God. When God hasn't sent someone, they're there to attack and demand. How much are we hurting the Lord as we malign what He made and called to Him? How much are we hurting ourselves as we build these impossible standards in the church to say nothing of those who we scare away? Are we among those who are gathering, but not by the Lord's will or word? Are we adding ourselves to the group that is going to reap this poor attitude? We are to exhort and encourage one another not to pick at fault. We are to have patience for everyone else's sanctification journey, even as we ask them to have patience with ours. We're to help, nurture, build up, and discipline others in the exact same way that Jesus disciplined us. Easy concept, but hard to do. I have children, a wide range of ages across the troop. Strife is often a companion in the house. We don't like it and seek to kick it out, but it often tries to move in. You know, sometimes I forget how contentious I was with my siblings, how pushy, how bullying. I certainly wasn't a model of peace. Looking at my kids, though, I remember. It can be helpful to think back and try to formulate strategy to help them work things out. Every day is a new lesson in negotiation, nuance, and nonsense. Ultimately, it doesn't help much, because no matter what we do, what strategy we employ, or how we practice engaged listening and open communication, we're just slathering plaster over mold without dealing with the mold. In the natural, you can control the desire, but the desire is still there. We need Jesus. It's an honor for a man to keep a loof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. Proverbs 20, verse 3. That about sums it up, doesn't it? In the church or in the home, it takes a real idiot to keep fighting all the time. I mean, you think about it. You have to ignore everything Jesus teaches. You have to push away everything the Spirit is telling you. You have to walk in the face of everything you've learned in church and most of what you've been told about politeness and general good behavior in the world. It takes a special kind of stupid. It's called the flesh. It's a carnal attitude. All about ourselves. All about our wants, our ideas, feelings, and thoughts. It's not what the Lord is looking for for His church. It's not the kind of bride He is looking forward to meeting. Jesus does not want Bridezilla showing up when that trumpet calls. We know it's on the mind of Jesus, because it was on the mind of Paul. Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ, but all things, beloved, are for your edifying. For I am afraid that perhaps when I come, I might find you not the way I want to. And that I might be found by you as you don't desire. That perhaps there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, or riots. That again when I come, my God would humble me before you. And I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness, sexual immorality, and lustfulness which they committed. 2 Corinthians 12, 19-21 Fear is the source of strife. It's the source of all the bad in the same way that faith is the source of all the good. Faith is the language of the Lord. Fear is the language of the fallen. It's that simple. We can cover strife and contentiousness with platitudes, with therapy, with workplace procedures and policies, with punishments or removal of privileges. But it doesn't deal with it. We need Jesus. Then don't let your good be slandered. For God's kingdom is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let's follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. Romans 14, 16-19 Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. These are what make for peace. These are what kill strife. When we look to how to help each other out, not to tear each other down. When we look to help the other guy get over whatever is causing his issue, instead of worrying about how it affects us. To turn the other cheek, not because we're meek, but because by turning our head away from the smoke, we can deal with the fire. Mind you, that does take meekness. We don't need to hold these things against each other. We can disagree without hating the other person. We can be on opposite sides of an issue and still get along. Test everything and hold fast to what is true. That's 1 Thessalonians 5, 21-22 It doesn't say to be bitter, to be a complainer, to attack and spew vitriol over them and all they do. We can correct each other as led by the Holy Spirit without causing major fights. If God revealed the truths behind our various denominations, then they should be meshing together, not driving us apart. A house divided cannot stand. We are not called to be divided. We're all a body of Christ. And we should be working together, founded on the Word and taking it as the only truth that there is. We can go forward in love, peace, righteousness and joy. Working together, not working to cut down the other guy. It's just the way we're supposed to be. Fellow disciples, not cage match participants. Every day in all you do, check your motivation and reword things as necessary. Don't fall because you're on the wrong side of the line of forgiveness. Whether they did something to you or you were offended because of what they do to each other, remember to release it all onto the cross. Pray to see others as the Lord sees them. Spiritually, not physically. Radiant carriers of the righteous spirit of the Lord. We are the righteousness of God. Let's start treating each other like it. Even in our own thoughts, because the battleground is always our mind. The Lord loves us too much to let us bicker and fight our way into the kingdom. Enter His courts with thanksgiving and praise, encouraging each other as we go. Together. In peace, not fear. His peace. It passes all understanding, including ours, as to where we all stand with one another. Brothers, fellow heirs, and in Jesus. New creatures, new creations. Us in Him, all alike before the throne. The Holy Spirit is urging us to go in peace together. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and don't curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind, one toward another. Don't set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don't be wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for good. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it's up to you, be at peace with all men. Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, vengeance belongs to me. I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head. Don't be overcome by evil. But overcome evil with good. Romans 12, 14-21 All men, all women, all children, male and female, in peace together. Being at peace, as much as it is up to you, with everyone. This includes that deacon you don't like, that librarian who's always shushing you, the guy who cuts you off in traffic, the slow person who's in front of you in line, your children, your sibling, your parent, all men and women. If nothing else, this will be one of the greatest witnesses to the truth that Jesus is real and the Holy Spirit can dwell in mankind. We're told to love one another. It's a commandment. How different we will look to those of the world. How different we will act. They'll wonder about us. They'll ask how we manage it, how we do it. They'll want to meet Jesus. They'll want to be part of the church. Because we will be lovers, not strifers. Kind, not contentious. Real, not riotous. Pleasant, not persecutors. It's how Jesus was, firm, fanatical for the Father, but faithful to the principle of love, of peace. He corrected. He confronted wrong attitudes about God. Name one person he hit. Name one person he belittled. Show me one conversation where he expounded to the disciples how cranky, stupid, wrong, and ignorant someone is. You won't find it because that's not how Jesus works. And it isn't how we should be either. Jesus is urging the church to be at peace again by abiding in Him, drawing on the Spirit He sent to guide, lead, and correct us. Wearing the armor of God, enjoying the fruit of the Spirit, walking in love with one another. It isn't easy to keep the flesh down. It takes crucifixion daily. That's why He walked the example for us. That's why He's given us so many tools. That's why the Word is with us. Get close to Him and He will get close to you. Get close to Him and you'll see your fellow disciples right there with you, in Him, by Him, through Him, and for Him. Jesus is the answer to it all. His love is better than our strife. His answers are better than our arguments. Let's strive to go again in peace with each other. It will light a fire inside us that will be seen for miles in this world. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers, be tenderly affectionate to one another. In honor, prefer one another. Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, and given to hospitality. Romans 12, 9-13 Our daily affirmation of God's love is Romans 13, 8-10. In today's world, this is a hard truth. We need to love one another. That means loving that trans woman that disgusts you. That means loving those people of another religion that you're scared of. That means smiling with kindness at that bitter person screaming at you because you cut them off, hopefully, by accident. It means that while you may be against the events, the culture, the lifestyle, and the legislation that some groups are trying to craft, you don't hate the people. I mean, weren't you lost too? You did get saved, right? That means you were saved from something. You were a sinner. Your sin and their sin might be totally different. But if you've ever sinned, you know how they are. They are lost. You won't win them to Jesus by being like them. We won't be a witness if we harbor hate in our hearts. We won't be forgiven if we don't forgive. Let me ask you, is your healing being blocked by your attitudes toward other people? Remember, if you bind it here, you bind it in heaven. Matthew 18, 18 We don't owe them a free ride. We don't owe them rules and laws to enable their lifestyle. We don't owe them the inoctination of our children. We don't owe them anything except to love them. That means they can be lost. They can be wrong. They can stand against the Lord in full knowledge of their rebellion, and we are to love them. Jesus loved the Pharisees, but never once condoned or accepted their position. It's hard to figure out how to do it, but the Holy Spirit is there to help us. I will tell you the first step. Let go. Let go of anything but love for them. No bad feelings. Stand against those. Do not approach them or their issues from feelings. Love them. A choice, not a feeling. And stand on the Word. Pray for them. Don't preach at them. Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Ever. Abide in Jesus and follow Him. Keep this in mind, and who knows what you will unlock in their life and in yours. Remember, if you release it on earth, it will be released in heaven. As we close, remember that you have earth. You are precious and valuable. Declare this. Today, God loves that I... Now you fill in the blank. Was it a meal you made? A smile you gave? Did you get out of bed? Read? Put on socks? There's no wrong answers here. There is no end to God's love. And no end to the things about you that He loves each and every day. Pick one. And remember, the Lord loves you. Just because you're you. 1 John 4, 9-10 tells us, By this, God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent His only-born Son into the world, that we might live through Him. And this is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His perfect love turned away God's wrath because of sin. And it casts out our fear too. See verses 18 and 19. We love because He first loved us. He just loves us. Can't get enough of us. And that is wonderful. See you next time.