Over the years I have seen many Christians in many church have disputes or disagreements. Too often they have ended with disastrous results.

What a shame that adults tend to act like adults when they fight instead of acting like children!

You see, children have a spat and get over it. They forget and go right back to playing with each other.

In some ways, children are more mature than we are.

It is each person's responsibility to see that differences do not lead to division. That means we have to think logically like adults and forgive easily like children.

A good measure of maturity in a believer, or in a church, is how they handle problems. Be assured problems will arise. As long as people have anything to do with the church, there will be problems, misunderstandings, differences, etc. It is how we handle the problems that reveals our level of maturity. And it is how we handle them that determines whether we stand or fall - grow together or fall apart.

As pastor and shepherd of this body my concern is always the good of the body itself. In that respect please note the following guidelines:

1. If you have a problem with something or a question about something in the church, go directly to the source or directly to the pastor. The most common thing people do is to start discussing it with others. We tend to think that will settle our minds or put us at ease, but more often than not it just genders more questions, suspicions, and assumptions. It will only cause factions and division in the long run.

 

2. Pray before you speak. God may reveal to you something you otherwise would not have thought of. Often I have questioned something and in prayer found that I was wrong or that there was good reason for what I formerly did not understand clearly. And then, at other times, God took care of the problem and I didn't have to concern myself any further with it.

 

3. Things don't have to be your way. In the light of eternity, your way or my way don't matter much anyway. God will have His way ultimately anyway so why get all torn up? Always save your fight for something that really matters. And choose your battles carefully.

 

4. Don't choose up sides in a dispute between other believers. It only fuels the dispute and makes things much more complicated and confusing. We must all be on God's side. We are not in a contest - we are on a journey - together.

We have "fellowship" with one another. Fellowship means that all us fellows are on this ship together. If the ship goes down, we all go down with it.

In the book of Acts a problem arose and the result was an improvement and expansion of the ministry of the church.

That's what happens when things are handled maturely.

• The complaint arose.
• The leaders came up with a solution.
• They presented it to the body.
• Workers were appointed to address the need.
• The church grew.

Let us remember this one thing here - man is not the important object here, God is. Yes, we have to have leaders. Someone has to lead or nothing will be organized and nothing will get done. But every leader is subject to God, and He is the ultimate leader of us all.

Man will disappoint you. Man will make mistakes and be wrong from time to time. Man will be selfish. Man will misjudge. Man will fail. But God will not.

It is not man that produces results for the Kingdom of God. It is God and God alone. Man is just the tool. Keep your eyes on God.

Division is one of the devil's favorite and most effective weapons against the church. If you don't think we are under attack, wake up! Recently, I took two weeks to get away. I needed to minister to some family members and friends, and I needed to seek God. When I returned home, three separate situations had developed involving conflicts between people in the church. Three potential divisions - three entirely unrelated incidents - three separate groups of people. That's the work of the enemy!

Fortunately, these situations seem to be under control. Maybe we are being mature. Let's keep up the good work.