... trouble and conflict, a fact of life, happening whenever there are two or more people relating with each other..let's look at family.. as in a "social unit".. we all value family ties and we all know that it is not always easy to get along with family members..
family members say things we don't like, do things we think are wrong, family members hurt us, they disappoint us and let us down at some point in time..
if we have a healthy understanding about what family is to be about we will try to work through difficulties and conflicts..we will forgive and reconcile and we will not forsake the get-togethers that are established...
a marriage, another place where conflict is just something that happens.... putting the other first, pursuing peace, working on the relationship and a deep commitment are the ingredients necessary to stay together forever... the heartache and brokenness that follow one spouse's walking away are the fallout of a lack of commitment and otherness ... or we could call it just plain selfishness...
the whole suffers when one is not committed...
for some reason when thinking about this kind of stuff yesterday, I came to the conclusion that it is the same for church...questions like "how does it make me feel", "am I happy about every decision" and "what am I going to do about conflict"... are the same questions that come up in any other social unit... we call it our "church family" when it gives us that cozy, happy feeling... then, like in any family, stuff happens.... and now the question is "what will we do"...well, the bible teaches about what to do when there is conflict, it is pretty black and white, clear cut...
it shouldn't surprise us that there are many that walk away from their church family, as much as there are many that walk away from their family, or from their marriage... it makes me sad, because whenever someone walks away there is brokenness... I, like a few friends of mine know exactly how that feels when the one, that is walking away replacing the family with another one, is your husband...
so yesterday, I realized why I am bothered by some of the things that have happened to my church family in the last few years... it is just not meant to be that way.... conflict needs to be resolved, forgiveness sought and extended, peace pursued, togetherness rather than slander and gossip... walking in obedience, sticking with it, accepting suffering... for the greater good... unity.... together making the invisible Christ visible...
we are hindering what God has planned for us if we take the easy way out... and look for "happiness" somewhere else.... that's what my husband did... and let me tell you, for us, it meant utter despair and deep wounds.... God is still bigger than any of this, but it bothers me anyways... just needed to share this...
just something that came to me yesterday.... I thank the Lord to give me insight.. He definitely clarified something for me there...
