Division

I was watching the news yesterday for just a minute, and there was an argument between a democrat and a republican over the health care reform of our president. And as I sat there watching it, I started wondering what other countries must think of us when they sit and watch us bicker back and forth over such issues. It seems that we cannot get along, even amongst ourselves. I sat back and my heart hurt for our country, because we are so divided. And then I thought about the church.

Why is it that we cannot get along in the church? And why is it that there is so much animosity, and competition in the church? Just a couple of weeks ago I sent out an email to forty or fifty pastors about a mission I am doing in Uganda, thinking that I could get some help from some of them, thinking that some of them would be interested in helping with that mission, and I have not even received a “no thanks”. That hurts my heart.

Now I am not slamming those pastors, not even close, because I don’t think I do enough to help other churches, so please don’t think that, but what hurts me so bad is where and why have we gotten so divided? I mean look around at all the denominations and you will see that we do not stand united. And then I think about our public witness, and I think about what an unbeliever must see from the outside looking in.

Jesus said in Matthew 12:25, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” Wise words I would say, because what is happening, is just like our country seems to be crumbling, so does the church seem to be crumbling. Our salt seems to be loosing its saltiness. And people that do not believe are on the outside looking in and they must think we are a joke because we cannot even get along amongst ourselves. How can we tell them we love them when we don’t even love each other?

One of the prayers that Jesus prayed was for us to be one even as He and the Father are one, and we are far from being one. Let us strive for unity for the sake of Christ, let us strive to let the world see us, not as Baptist or Methodist, or Presbyterian, but let them see us as Christians, bound together, setting aside doctrinal differences to see the world changed to the glory of God and His Kingdom!