When problems arise within the church with many or with few,
One question demands an answer: Is it me or is it you?
We are both one in Christ, and so our goals should be the same,
But the easiest thing to do with troubles is to try to place the blame.
“He said. She said.” The truth is often hard to discern.
Are we pawns of the devil being used, and somehow our lessons never learn?
The answer can be found in the book of Acts, chapter two.
There you will see there is no “me”; there is no “you”.
Instead, there is “one accord”;
One heart that wants to serve the Lord.
There is one desire to win the lost.
Each one willing to pay the cost.
So be like Nehemiah; put your hand upon the plow.
Work shoulder to shoulder. The lost are dying now.
There is no time to wait.
It soon will be too late.
Who will be the first to stand for the Lord tall and true?
Who will it be? Is it me or is it you?
— Barbara Brinkworth
In the last year we had a dreadful problem arise in our church, which is in the process of resolving itself, thanks to The Lord.
I happened to be fairly close to both parties…here are some observations I made:
1. Both parties were deceived about the motives of the other.
2. Neither party had any ability to put themselves in the other’s position.
3. The pastor’s authority meant little to them. Past prayer, there was nothing he could do.
4. When anger and hurt are involved, irrationality often follows.
5. The key to resolution was walling off the cancer and for the church to not gossip, not carry tales, and not make it worse. The Pastor worked tirelessly containing it, the congregation worked tirelessly at avoiding the topic and praying for it.
6. The next key was to keep all parties in their pew and at the altar long enough for the Lord to work on them. Eventually, they all prayed through and made up and the Lord is still helping. It was truly a miracle the day it happened, brings tears to my eyes now thinking about it. When it broke, it was glorious, the healing is still going on!
7. Once all parties allowed the Lord to help them, it was like flipping a switch. I will not say they are hanging out at each other’s house, but they are friendly, they are demonstrative toward one another, it is obvious that the Lord made a huge change in their thinking and I think they are in a position to get total victory.
I look forward to them all having total victory over this. They say a scar is stronger than the surrounding tissue. I think this will have the same impact on our Church…
I appreciate your wise discernment in such a situation. So many take a side and scald the other…… We’re a church families, and unfortunately like families there sometimes are conflicts. We shouldn’t argue as we’re both on the same side. (I’m working on a piece about that, if I ever finish it.)
i think all of us should look deep inside and will know what God wants one to do .