John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35″By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

One of my favorite phrases is Ignorance is Bliss. In Genesis 3:5, Satan says to Eve, “For God knows that when you eat from it (the Tree) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” As I look at that scripture, I am thinking, Who wants to know evil? Not me! I try to know as little as possible about all the evil that is going on around me. I have always wished that there was a good news network, perhaps it could have a catchy name, like….The Happy Channel. Its station symbol would be a big smiling emoji .  Not necessarily a Christian station, but a station where they find hometown heros, healings, and happy ending and run those 24/7. I don’t watch much TV, but I think I would watch that!

I have been in church most of my adult life, and for many of those years, I really believed all the people that sat and worshipped next to me were nice people. Aren’t all Christians? They all seemed really nice. They dressed nice. They smiled and hugged a lot.  Some of the problem with thinking that, was that I always felt a bit inferior spiritually. I knew how not nice I could be. No one heard me when I was acting like a crazy person as I dealt with the overwhelming task of raising two very busy, loud, active boys. I would look around at the other women in church, and they all looked like the Proverbs 31 woman. I bore a resemblance more like the demoniac of the Gadarenes. You laugh…I am serious!  I spent a LOT of time in prayer and God’s Word trying to get myself under control and be a better mother. I cannot tell you how many times I read through Proverbs. I begged God for wisdom because I needed it desperately. My greatest desire was (and still is) to be a good mother, wife and Christian.

Like many other things in life, the idea of ministry is usually much more glamorous than the reality. C.S. Lewis put it perfectly in his book, The Screwtape Letters when he said, “in every department of life it marks the transition from dreaming aspiration to laborious doing.” Being a Christian is hard work. I always thought the work of being a Christian was to tell others about the love of Christ. What I have learned, and continue to learn, is that the true work of being a Christian is much more about showing others the love of Christ.  I am not saying that we are not supposed to share with others the hope that we have in Christ, but what I am saying is that people should know what we believe even if they never hear us say it.

The church is not perfect. God’s people today are not much different than those portrayed in the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, they are portrayed realistically, warts and all. But even knowing and accepting that, there is something that I find horribly frustrating.  It is watching Christians devour one another. And I am not talking about just the people in the pews…I am talking about turning on those that work along side of us in ministry. The constant sounds of grumbling, finding fault, tattling, and back biting. He said this, she said that. We show little or NO grace for one another. (If you could hear my voice here, it is getting higher, and a bit louder)….HOW can we effectively be the hands and feet of Christ to a lost world when we can’t even show the most basic grace to those that we minister beside? 1 John 4:20 goes even further. It says Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. Of course, I know that you are thinking, I don’t HATE anyone. All I can say is that when we are acting that way, it certainly isn’t love!

As Christians in ministry, we are all on the same side. Our desire is to see the lost saved. It is to reach out to those without hope, and offer them the hope we have. And it is to effectively battle THE ENEMY! Romans 12:2 says We do not battle flesh and blood… If you find yourself in a battle with someone wearing flesh and blood, you are literally cutting off your own arm. We are the body of Christ! Our enemy is spiritual and purpose driven. His goal is to divide and destroy unity! Are you in conflict with someone? Do you have a complaint against someone that is in the spiritual trenches with you? Have you truly shown your brother or sister in Christ the grace that Christ has shown you? Have you forgiven them 7 times? Have you forgiven them 7 X 70?? Another sobering scripture is from the 23rd Psalm…. forgive us our sin, AS WE FORGIVE OTHERS (emphasis mine).   

Dear Lord, please help me to operate in a greater attitude of grace . The kind of grace you have shown me. Help me to neither offend, nor be offended. And above all… Help me to love! Draw your church together, because in this battle that we are in, we will only be successful if we have a common goal and recognize our enemy.  1 Peter 5:8 tells us who that is… a roaring lion roaming around seeking whom he may devour.