I’ll Tell You What…

Legalism and church splits. Those are touchy subjects. But how many times to we burden someone with requirements that only hinder someone’s Christian walk instead of offering them our help so they are more confident in their walk? Or what about knit-picking over non-issues that only lead to divisions? I’ve contributed my fair share to both of these problems.

It’s not a good feeling to realize one day that you were the cause of someone leaving the faith or the cause of a riff in one’s local church or Bible study. At the time you feel so confident that your way is right. It just has to be. I suppose the issue could be about anything such as religion, politics, money, process, etc. After all, everyone is human and humans make mistakes. Some are bigger than others but they are still mistakes nonetheless.

Many years ago, there was a large Southern Baptist church in my home town (later to become my church). Some issues came about that caused people to start taking sides. I used to know what the issue was but time has taken it’s toll on my feeble brain and the information has been replaced with very useful information like knowing that the power cable going to my hard drive has only four wires. Anyway, people started to second guess the motives of others and a general uneasiness filled the air on Sunday mornings.

In the end, a good portion of the church decided to leave and start their own church about a mile down the road. And, as with most things, the people who were in the wrong stayed in the wrong and went elsewhere leaving behind a congregation that had become thirsty for God. This new church eventually became the sister church to the first and the combined ministries multiplied beyond anyone’s expectations. It is quite amazing how God turned something devastating into something nobody ever thought was possible.

My story is a lot like that of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41). Paul didn’t trust John Mark because of his past actions but Barnabas wanted to give him a second chance. Barnabas had a knack for trusting the untrusted. If you remember, Barnabas was the one who gave Paul a chance when no one else would and presented him to the Apostles in Jerusalem. (Acts 9:26-28) That was quite a risk!

Paul and Barnabas went separate ways but I’m sure this split only served to further the Word of God faster. I couldn’t find any mention of Barnabas’ missionary journeys but I’m sure someone has a reference or two. I guess what I’m trying to get at is this: God will allow us to behave badly and cause problems in the lives of other believers that may cause division. But it doesn’t have to end there. I think that after Paul and Barnabas thought about what happened they realized that they were both in the wrong and that they needed to resolve the issue. Ephesians 4:26 hits the nail on the head. “Be angry without doing wrong; let not the sun go down on your wrath.”

What comes to your mind when you hear the term “suffering for Christ?” Do you think of missionaries who are attacked for their faith? Do you think of the Chinese home churches who are constantly being arrested and severely interrogated for information about other home churches? What about Saudis who convert to Christianity only to have the religious police arrest and torture them for turning their back on Islam?

All too often we don’t even think about these things and instead worry about what our neighbor or cube mate might think if he found out we were a followers of Christ. Sometimes we even worry about what someone at church might think if we thanked God openly before or after church during our casual conversation.

At a church I once attended, I had a friend who, after church, asked me how I was doing. Normally, people just say “doing good” or “fine, and you?” when asked that question. Never being one to just acknowledge the impersonal nature of the question I said, “I’m doing ok, I suppose. Looks like a divorce is in my future. But, I’ve noticed that even in the midst of the darkness, God is holding me above water.” (Or something like that.) You would have thought that I had said that God had brought me back from the dead from the look on his face! Unfortunately, that ended our conversation and I walked away a little sad from the response. Is that what we’re afraid of? That? Well, the sad fact is yes in most cases. To us, that is suffering. Boy do those of us in free countries have a lot to learn.

This kind of suffering never came to Paul’s mind. Even before Paul’s ministry began the road to physical and mental suffering was laid out before him. In Acts 9:16, Jesus told Ananias, “I’ll show him how much he has to suffer for the sake of my name.” And did Paul suffer! All throughout his letters Paul mentions, sometimes to justify his right of authority, his beatings and jail stories. Paul even writes a few from jail. And it was because of his experiences with real sufferings that Paul (and Barnabas) tell the churches in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch (in Pisidia) that “we must suffer a lot to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22).

Paul wasn’t despairing when he told them that fact. He was honestly telling them that if they are going to follow Jesus Christ, they will be persecuted. Jesus said so a number of times during His time on earth. If this is such a fact then why are we surprised when people make fun of us or talk behind our backs accusing us of being blind sheep who mindlessly follow whatever their pastor tells them? For me I think it’s because I assume that people will respect my choice to belief in God at the personal level. Maybe it’s because of my environment growing up. I don’t know. But I am sometimes surprised by people’s reactions.

It is struggle to see and read about atrocities committed against Christians around the world these days and still remain in the peace that God provides. But, it will get worse in the long run. Only the Lord knows when that will happen but His word says it will. Maybe we need to be reminded of this fact ever so often so that we will turn our eyes to the Him for answers to those things that trouble our heart the most.