Fellowship
Why is it so hard to find deep fellowship among Christians? It seems disagreements and judgmental attitudes abound far more often then unity. I confess I struggle with the whole John 17:20-23 where Christ prays for the unity of the church. "May they be brought into complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and and have loved them even as you have loved me." WOW! Ummmm, Christ prayed for this soooo it must be an answered prayer, right?
This verse is soooo striking! The crux of it is God's love for us. It says that as Christians we are loved by our Father God every bit as much as He loves his own perfect, beautiful son!!!! Amazing! This love that we have motivates and changes us so we in turn love others with this humbling love, first in our community of believers then in our outside community. This is THE WAY Jesus says they will know Him. Why then is it so rare to see this actually lived out?
I recognize that at this time I am lonely and frustrated, longing for mutual encouragement from the Body of Christ in those deep places of the heart. I also am needing to be in daily repentance of my own divisive pride. It is ironic that I can take my convictions of how things should be in the church concerning unity, grace community etc. and make them enemies of the realities, working against forgiveness and grace by nurturing pride and self-righteousness in my own heart. Make sense? In other words, when I demand that my brothers and sisters in Christ think and act like I think they should, it quickly causes me to not actually love them with the grace I demand they love me with!
Father have mercy on me in my loneliness. Keep anger far from me as you keep me mindful of my own sin. Love through me today.
This verse is soooo striking! The crux of it is God's love for us. It says that as Christians we are loved by our Father God every bit as much as He loves his own perfect, beautiful son!!!! Amazing! This love that we have motivates and changes us so we in turn love others with this humbling love, first in our community of believers then in our outside community. This is THE WAY Jesus says they will know Him. Why then is it so rare to see this actually lived out?
I recognize that at this time I am lonely and frustrated, longing for mutual encouragement from the Body of Christ in those deep places of the heart. I also am needing to be in daily repentance of my own divisive pride. It is ironic that I can take my convictions of how things should be in the church concerning unity, grace community etc. and make them enemies of the realities, working against forgiveness and grace by nurturing pride and self-righteousness in my own heart. Make sense? In other words, when I demand that my brothers and sisters in Christ think and act like I think they should, it quickly causes me to not actually love them with the grace I demand they love me with!
Father have mercy on me in my loneliness. Keep anger far from me as you keep me mindful of my own sin. Love through me today.