November 13, 2007

• As I write this, I find that I put myself “on trial” as much, if not more, than anyone else.  I take this risk for one simple reason.  I have discovered some things that I have not been taught in 30 years of ministry, and that I have stumbled over myself for most of those 30 years.  These are things the Word of God clearly teaches.  I am only now attempting to redo my mindset and practice regarding the following.  I am also asking my fellow leaders to consider the same calling, and consider making the same changes in mindset and practice if needed.

   

  Diversity in the Body of Christ

  Take a look at our fellowship.  What do you see?  Do you see a range of age?  A range of maturity, personality, experience, or temperament?  A range of family situation, upbringing, or back-ground?  How about a range of church background?  A range of education?  A range of vocation? How about a range of ministry experience?  Or ministry philosophy?  A range of Bible knowledge?  Definitely two genders.  And a range of doctrinal views on any number of topics.  To top it off, the scriptures tell us of God’s varied spiritual gifting of the members of the body of Christ:  We’ve got prophets and encouragers, givers and spenders, thinkers and feelers, and any number of other differences in gifting. 

   

  If properly handled, this multitude of diversity, this complex variety – this multidiversity – can be a testimony to the amazing work of God in all of our lives, proclaiming His glory to a watching world.  However, if mishandled, this diversity can become a breeding ground for disturbance, dissension, or division.

  God’s Vision for the Body

  Jesus told the initial group of disciples that the watching world would know, from their love for one another, that they were his disciples (John 13:34-35).  Imagine how that works in a church.  Someone comes in and immediately sees this multidiversity, and sees love among them.  He doesn’t hear the pastor putting down other believers.  He doesn’t hear Mable criticizing Ulga’s taste in communion table décor, or Wanda complaining about the kitchen.  He doesn’t hear grumbling about the pastor’s message or the communion devotional.  What he sees and hears as he spends more and more time with this group is that they love one another, even when they disagree.  Since this imaginary man, who walked into this imaginary church, grew up in a fallen world, attended fallen-world schooling, has labored in a fallen-world workplace, and has previously attended a “less-than-loving” church or two, this difference, this glorious difference, brings him to only one conclusion:  He discovered a community of true disciples of Christ.

  In another instance, while praying (John 17:20-21), Jesus asked that we might all be one, “so that the world may believe” that the father sent the son.  Imagine that.  Our ability and willingness to properly handle our inevitable differences is evidence of the truthfulness of the gospel to a watching world.  Again, our imaginary man comes in to our fellowship and discovers that we don’t complain, undermine, gossip about, or slander one another.  Rather, he finds (in Paul’s words) that “we do all things, without grumbling and complaining.”  He finds that we continue to love and support one another and give respect and honor to one another, in spite of the tensions of disappointment, disagreement, or dissatisfaction.

  A Means for Unity

  The differences among God’s people will undoubtedly create friction and tension.  We, this multidiversity, are called to accomplish reaching the lost, evangelizing the willing, and discipling and equipping the converted.  All this work expands God’s Kingdom in breadth and depth, when done properly.

   

  But nothing exposes differences between people better than attempting to accomplish great and complex things together.  Each of us brings our own personal set of beliefs and backgrounds, experiences and values to the task.  And due to our differences, we will often find disagreement as to how, when, where, or why certain aspects of our mission are to be handled.  We will each inevitably bring our unique self, with our unique views on things, into the discussion.  Ministry naturally exposes our differences.

   

  But God has provided for proper handling of such differences in His plan.  If we model Christ to one another as we question the contribution of others, and if we pre-judge our own contributions against a Christlike mindset, we’d regularly make an amazing statement to those around us.  God is among us.  And because He is among us, we can handle the differences rightly, resting in Him and His provision for us as we do so.  What would happen if each of us, in addition to our own unique view, made sure that we brought love and faithfulness to every discussion?  How different from our present experience would it be if we committed ourselves to handle every disagreement, every tension, every slight (whether real or only perceived), every misunderstanding, and every debate, allowing the Spirit of God to take our drivers’ seats, and using only the character of Christ as our roadmap?

  The Toll of Disunity

  Sadly, many of us have been part of ministries that handled differences and tensions in a less-than-stellar fashion.  Whether out of ignorance, manipulation, or malice, discontent is allowed (or encouraged) to stew into bitterness, disagreements grow (or are fanned) into divisiveness, and love and faithfulness are put on only for show.  Behind the curtain lie gossip, duplicity, deceit, favoritism, grumbling, slander, and scheming as leaders attempt to keep up the public image while slyly dealing wickedly with the inevitable tensions of the multidiversity. 

   

  The victims of such dealings are legion.  They are the volunteers who worked tirelessly for or with someone, only to have him abandon them.  They are the staffers who trusted and served someone, only to have him stab them in the back, or encourage others to do it for him.  They are the faithful servants of the living God, entrusted to someone as equipper, that he equipped for nothing while using their strengths for his purposes and their weaknesses to propel himself higher in others’ eyes.

   

  But there is a huge class of additional victims:  The audiences who watched as we mishandled our differences.  They are the children that watch as mom and dad scream, yell, and divorce one another.  They are friends of teens who watch and listen as Christian teens and Christian parents fight, argue, manipulate, or withdraw from one another.  They are the children and youth in a ministry who watch parents, pastors, and others lock horns, grumble, and berate one another.  And as they watch, they learn:  If mature Christians cannot trust God enough to obey His commands regarding love, grace, forbearance, forgiveness, and honest communication about issues and disagreements, then He cannot be trusted at all.  Instead, they learn that Christians, like those in the world, must take matters into their own hands, ignore God’s counsel, and work sinfully to solve the issues or disagreements.

  The Tactics of the Tempter

  Who do you suppose wants more than anything to frustrate the witness of the church?  Who deeply desires that men, women and children disbelieve that God loves them and that He sent His son to die for their sins?  Who indeed?  The apostle Paul gives profound insight into what may be the most important facet of our disagreements:  Satan is behind their escalation into division and dissension. 

   

  Paul’s comment, found in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, intimates that we are to be a forgiving people, so that “Satan might not outwit us.”  He adds “for we are not unaware of his schemes.”  Paul understood that if grace were to be withheld from a certain sinner, then Satan could catapult that instance into much, much more. 

   

  In Ephesians 6, Paul writes that our “battle” is not with one another.  Rather, it is “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  Before and after this observation, he commands that we should “put on the full armor of God.”  The larger context of this passage includes the series of relationship commands earlier in chapter 6.  In rightly handling those relationships, we are to be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power, so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes.  Clearly, Paul wants us to put on that armor so that we can stand against Satan as he attempts to turn our relations into opportunities for him to work his schemes, to turn us into unChristlike people as we deal with one another.

   

  In Ephesians 4, Paul writes that we can give the devil a foothold when we allow an anger to hold us beyond sundown.  Handing the devil a foothold gives him a base of operation within one’s own self.  Once there, Satan can stir one to sin in many ways without the effort he’d be required to use as an “outsider.” 

  The Bottom Line

  How do you and I view someone’s failure?  Do you judge it?  Do I condemn him in my heart because of it?  Do you grumble to yourself about it?  Do I grumble to others about it?  Do you forgive it?  Do I have compassion on him in spite of it?  Do you commit yourself to only imitate Christ in your response to it?  Do I look for the log that may exist in me that twists my perception and my reaction to his failure?  Do you and I seek ways to do good, to love and edify him (help him grow)? 

   

  We (“we” must begin with “I”) must learn to see the disconcerting words or deeds (and lack of words or deeds) in one another as opportunities to do good, not evil.  We must learn to love those who sin (against us or against those whom we love) enough to speak to them in love, with words of edification, to pray for them and for their blessing. 

   

  We must also each accept the responsibility to help one another when we see one another stumbling through these opportunities to do good rather than evil.  We cannot simply allow someone the luxury of venting, or allow discontent to sit unaddressed in a brother or sister.  We must minister to him in a way that helps him process the discontent in a godly manner:  We must help someone return to peace and joy in his circumstance, and help him grow in his commit-ment to serve Christ in his circumstance.  Simply listening to someone vent his discontent is not good for him.  It is not good for those he’d grumble to.  It is not good for the church.

   

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