“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Proverbs 31.29-31 NIV
“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her….”
Proverbs 31:10, 27-28 NIV
“So let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the growth of one another’s character.”
Romans 14.19 Phillips NT
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14 NLT
Day 21 of 40: “Divide and conquer” is a basic warfare strategy… and it’s an essential tool of the devil when it comes to the Church. “Division, conflict, and disharmony cause devastating damage in the Church”… and they are antithetical to God’s plan and purpose for the Church… and for us as well.
I’ve experienced and lived through conflict at all levels of a denominational church – national, regional, and local. Some conflict is simply a matter of personal preferences… some is a matter of conflicting goals or priorities… and some is down and dirty spiritual warfare. Discerning the difference is a necessary leadership skill.
The Church needs to be protected from all of it. But the conflicts that most of us we deal with are over matters of personal preferences and conflicting priorities. And that’s what I’d like to reflect on here. Continue reading “PDL 21 – Protecting Your Church”
“God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships.” 2 Corinthians 5:18 (GW)
“Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18 NLT
Day 20 of 40: We’re at the half-way point and today I failed the test. I’m not much of a peacemaker.
Oh it’s been easy enough when I was not a party to the conflict and had some authority in the matter… like a parent telling his/her kids to go to their rooms don’t come out until they can say they’re sorry and be nice. It can be draining… tedious… frustrating – but it’s not personal.
It’s when I’m up against a wall in front of a firing squad (at least that’s the way it feels to me) that I get testy – and peacemaking gets short shrift. You know the old saying: “When you’re up to your waist in alligators, you can’t think about draining the swamp.” I’ve been up against my share of walls over the years… and have waded with alligators. I don’t do well in those situations. Continue reading “PDL 20 – Restoring Broken Fellowship”
“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.”
Ephesians 4:3 NLT
“I am writing these things to you now… [so] you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
1 Timothy 3:14-15 NLT
Day 19 0f 40: Community requires commitment – “It takes both God’s power, and our effort to produce a loving Christian community.”
Warren goes on to make the point that many people, growing up in unhealthy (and even dysfunctional) families, have never learned the relational skills needed to build Christian community. But even if our human families were healthy, for the most part, it still takes commitment – and conscious choices – on our part to make it work.
I have to ask myself: “Is it worth it, at this stage in my life, to make the effort to get involved in these people’s lives?”
The answer is not a simple “yes, of course.” Continue reading “PDL 19 – Cultivating Community”
The Peanut Gallery 