March 25 Being Transformed Romans 12:2
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
The March edition of the TEBA Pastor’s Lab (Pastors coming together to discuss how to be more effective in ministry) exposed a consistent reality of “Church Life,” and that is conflict and challenges! One young pastor asked what can be done about the challenges that are within the “Body of Believers” to reduce friction and to promote “unity” in the Spirit… This question brought out several solutions, and they all involved a change of attitude and outlook, both for the perpetrator and the perceiver! I could sense a level of frustration among the brothers, as we discussed the realities of sharing Jesus and the implementation of His commands and His instructions. Is it possible to believe that the instructions for living, found among the pages of God’s Holy Word, are for others and not for me? I was asked how I handled conflicting opinions and attitudes. Wow! My response was, probably not expected, when I stated that I was “working” on getting “me” into a position to be more compliant and more spiritually mature and increasing my personal prayer time, so as to be prepared for the challenges created by inconsistent and fractured attitudes and actions. The conversations continued and as the talking proceeded, I realized that this conflict, this struggle, this friction has been a part of human interactions since the days of Adam, through the time of Noah, and because of our human condition (Lost), this struggle will continue until Jesus returns to “Claim” His Church! How to mitigate the damage of “Immature actions and attitudes,” “Hurtful words and obsessions,” and the failures of humans to be “civil” and to defy God’s Word and continue in traditions and self-conceived patterns of behavior, while sharing the “Good News of Jesus” with others? One young pastor described the challenge when he stated that he, and others, were sharing the News of Jesus’ Grace and Mercy, bringing folks in the front door, and attitudes and actions that are not “Christ-Like” are pushing folks out the back door! Proverbs 3:5-6 provides a path forward for each one of us! “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Notice that our Trust must in our LORD, and we are to Trust Him, and not dependent on our own attitudes and actions, but we are to “Submit” ourselves to Him, and He will, again, He WILL, make our way “Straight, Proper, and Edifying!” So, it is true … “It is your ATTITUDE, not your APTITUDE, that will determine your ALTITUDE!” I am fully aware that challenges will continue and that conflicts will continue, and folks will feel that they are righteous and others are not, and there will continue to be unforgiveness and unconfessed sins and folks will have a “form of godliness,” yet neve have the power that comes from complete and total submission to His Grace and Glory! So, how do we survive? We continue to GROW IN HIS GRACE, PRAY DAILY, READ and STUDY GOD’S HOLY WORD, and continue to WALK IN HIS LOVE, not our own human prejudices and traditions! One of the greatest challenges of a local pastor is the fact that he loves everyone involved in the conflicts, and is called on to “take a side,” and that is not going to happen! A young pastor, in his closing remarks, made a truthful, yet sad statement, when he declared that “some will recognize the need to pray, to seek God’s will and are ready to change and become a part of the conflict solution, and others will become defiant and will be entrenched in their attitude and opinions, and will choose to leave the local church before they will change their stated positions and attitudes!” IF YOUR ATTITUDE, OPINION, ACTIONS ARE NOT GROUNDED AND SUPPORTED BY GOD’S HOLY WORD, AND YOUR ACTIONS, WORDS AND DEEDS ARE NOT EDIFYING TO GOD AND BRINGING PEOPLE CLOSER TO A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, THEN YOU MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT! Please be truthful with yourself and choose to be “Christ-Like,” not “Satan-Like!” Stay Strong, Stay Focused … THE BEST IS YET TO BE!