This field of fresh new wheat growing reminds me of how God has placed us together. He plants us in a family, both physically and spiritually (when we accept Christ). He also plants us in a local church to serve, to grow, and to live out our faith. God made us, right? So He knows us much better than we know ourselves. He knows our strengths and He knows our weaknesses. With that as the backdrop we look at the end of Chapter four in Ephesians.
Be kind AND compassionate. Why would he have to remind us of these things? Aren’t we naturally kind and compassionate people? Especially to those people we are closest too?
Today I listened as a man talked about a granddaughter he’d recently spent a week with. He was particularly concerned with how this young lady was speaking to her mother (his daughter) and asked her directly about it. “Sweetheart, do you talk to and treat your teachers the way you do your mom?”, was his question. Her answer, “No!”. “Why is that?” “I don’t know.”
Isn’t that the direction our sinful nature pulls on us? What a crafty scheme it is for Satan to break down the church by allowing us to bicker and fight, and separate ourselves from the rest of the flock (or in this case maybe I should say field). It’s ingenious! What happens after we have an issue with other church family members? We can miss this Sunday, then we won’t even have to see that person. We can step down from serving in that place of ministry, then we can just go on with our lives, and let unforgiveness continue. Then let bitterness creep in. Eventually we’ll never go back. It’s a slippery slope, church. It doesn’t look like Jesus at all. It doesn’t display the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. It doesn’t show the world what the transforming power of God can do.
Conflict is part of life. We misunderstand. We don’t communicate thoroughly. We are not perfect- just on a journey together to look more like Jesus. So what can we do?
- Own our part of the problem. No conflict is one sided, we always play a part.
- Work the problem out with the actual person we’re struggling with, at least start there! That where the kindness and compassion comes in. That is where the forgiveness is practiced.
- Pray! Pray the best for the other person. For success. For blessings. For grace and growth. For them to receive your kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.
- Be grateful for the perfect relationship we can have with God. He has forgiven every thing you have ever done against Him. Isn’t that worth celebrating!!!
- Pursue kindness and compassion in your relationships. Make forgiveness a habit.
