March 18 HIS Love is the Key to Unity Philippians 2:2
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina … “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2)
In, almost, 70 years of life and experience, I have encountered opposition and challenges to God’s Holy Word, in various forms and manifestations, and have experienced challenges from a multitude of, seemingly, righteous folks, yet the one thing that all have in common, is the demonstration of “less of Jesus and more of “me!” It is interesting that we are to “Conform” to His Likeness, not our own, and we are to serve Him with “Gladness,” and be an example to others, along the journey! How does one “Pastor,” in such an environment? It requires constant Prayer, constant Renewal, and a Keen Focus on what is Real, Just and Edifying to the Body of Christ! Being Called as a Peacemaker is, often, quite a challenge! Amazingly, the answer to harmony in the ministry is as simple as “Loving One Another!” Now, the actual implementation of this love can be a bit more challenging! We, every one of us, come with a preconceived notion of what harmony should resemble! “Think Like Me, Act Like Me, Dress Like Me, Believe Like Me, Enjoy Music Like Me, and, well, Be Like Me, and we will get along fine!” Unfortunately, this is not the path to harmony in the fulfillment of His Divine Call! It doesn’t work like that! Colossians 3:14, shares a profound fact: “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Wow! How simple is this? To Walk in His Will, to Speak to Honor His Will, to Act Like Jesus, and to be the Example of His Love to the LOST and the SAVED! The Pattern is Clear; Your Opinion, Your Bias, Your Traditions, Your Thoughts, Your Prejudices are not edifying to the Cause of Christ, unless you are demonstrating His Love in all that you do! You see, it is His Love, His Grace, His Divine Power that provides the way and the method to serve in Unity and to Get Along! Please, Please, Please let His Love (Life Changing Love) abound in You and allow His Power, Promise, and Purpose to be demonstrated in Your Words, Actions and Attitudes! Last thought: Are you serving the “church” and doing it in your own thoughts and attitude, or are you serving God, through the church and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit and your own notions and preconceived concepts take a backseat to the Will of God? Harmony, Unity, are concepts that in our humanity are impossible to achieve, however, in His Grace and through His Power, we can and must achieve this goal! “Not of ourselves, it is the Grace of God!” I realize that the attitude of, “I am Right and they are Wrong” or “I don’t like his attitude and tone,” or “Who does he think that he is?” or “Do you know what I do?” are prevalent in our interactions, but they are not “RIGHT,” or EDIFYING to JESUS CHRIST! Being Christ-Like does not mean that you make Jesus conform to your standards, but we MUST conform to HIS STANDARDS, or the results will not be pleasant, now and in the time to come! So, back to the original question; “How does one Pastor in such an environment?” He is to continue to grow in Christ, personally; to love, even when love is not returned, nurture even when resistance exists, disciple by example, words and prayer, and as difficult as it is, to LOVE with HIS LOVE and overlook the shortcomings and to celebrate the positives and pray for the weaknesses! Wow! Could it be, as Born-Again Believers, that we should be doing these very same things? Think on this: “Fruit of the Spirit” – LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE… Can’t have one without the other! (Galatians 5:22-23) – REPENT! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…. THE BEST IS YET TO BE!