I have a confession. Last year I left a church because of a difference I had with the leadership. I won't go into details but the end result was that I left the congregation. After leaving, it was my hope that their ministry would fail. Their failing would somehow vindicate me. I'm talking about a congregation that my wife and some good friends still serve. How selfish is that? Every once in a while I still think it's all about me. Please forgive me.
How can we show the love of God to the world when we can't even love each other. There are some that will say to me, "I can love them but I don't have to like them."
Do I really need to address that?
1Corinthians 13: 4-8 says, "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on it's own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
It's okay to have disagreements. Paul was involved in a few of them. It's how we handle them that makes us different from the others. Don't think I'm saying that the church should wink at sin to maintain unity. We are to correct each other.
All that being said, we need to practice patience. 2 Peter talks about God's patience, not wanting any to perish. We see his patience with Israel. Paul tells us to be patient with the weaker brother, Rom. 15:1.
A friend of mine likes to remind me that we are a work in progress. It is God who does the work and he has to be the One to complete it. God bless y'all real good.
