Ferndale Tonight: Options?

Meditate: Acts 2:44

“Together” isn’t always easy. It requires real effort and real commitment.

Seems like every time you read one of those “Local Couple Celebrates 70th Anniversary” articles in the paper, one of them mentions that they had their moments but that “I’m stubborn and I made up my mind that I wasn’t going anywhere,” so they stayed together and worked things out.

I tell couples that if they’re guarding against divorce (or adultery, or any of the things that conspire to destroy a marriage), they’re possibly fighting a losing battle. But if they’ll resist the very moment when they’re tempted to think that maybe divorce, etc. might be an option, they’ll go a long way toward having a strong marriage.

Because once any of that stuff becomes an option it takes on a life of its own.

Somewhere along the way we decided that this “together” business was optional. Sure it was fine for the halcyon days when the Church was getting its act together but eventually you have to live in the real world and you can’t keep that stuff up forever, right?

The answer is that we may never know.

Today, in the Body of Christ, too many people have decided that being together is optional.

Confront my sin? Never mind Jude 23 - I’ll move on and I’ll thank you by telling everyone I meet how much you’ve hurt me by not showing true Christian love and compassion.

Go ahead - just try holding me accountable, asking for change, expecting me to get along? Yeah. Whatever. I’ll get back to you.

Don’t tell me that you’ll pray with me, talk with me, and study the Bible with me, but that you won’t simply stand by and watch me sin.

And don’t you dare try telling me I need to take responsibility for my own actions!

Just who do you think you are?

Point people toward forgiveness and reconciliation in relationships and you’re a meddler.

Insist on genuine repentance and you’re unforgiving. Ask people to renounce habitual sin and you’re a legalist. Expect people to take tithing seriously and you’re a money-grubber.

And if all else fails, it seems there’s always another congregation right down the street that will “accept me for who truly I am.”

“Together” only works when we’re all pointed in the same direction; God’s Word and God’s Spirit provide that direction. This early Church committed themselves to seeking the Truth of the Word and the fellowship of the Spirit.

Every time we choose comfort over conviction, every time we decide “that doesn’t really apply to us today,” every time we ignore God, we vote against making “together” possible.