I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ~Philippians 4:2 (NIV)
In Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi he addresses strife occurring between two people. Strife is a dangerous condition in any relationship and especially between Christians. Strife literally means rivalry, conflict or trouble and it can creep into our lives if we don’t watch for it and eliminate it by seeking God's wisdom and choosing to operate in love and forgiveness. Proverbs 17:14 tells us “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.” (NKJV) Contention is a disagreement; it’s when two people don’t see eye to eye. Is there anyone in your life you don't see eye to eye with? Everyone disagrees with someone at one point or another. Paul tells us how to handle those disagreements. He actually pleads…”be of the same mind in the Lord”. Notice Paul doesn’t address the issue. He addresses the solution. He isn’t saying pick this side or that one. He is saying “what does the Lord have to say about it?’ The Lord wants us to seek His solutions in every circumstance and His solutions are found in His word. They tend not to coincide with our pride or selfish nature so we must be aware when we seek what God has to say about anything that it will be according to what Jesus has demonstrated to us while He walked this earth. That demonstration was humble submission to the Fathers way of doing things.
Our success in mending relationships and maintaining a spirit of unity does not depend on us being able to work out our differences in ourselves. We have to make God's word final authority. Issues that might seem irresolvable can be mended “in the Lord” but we must choose to seek the Lord for His wisdom in every controversial situation. After that we have to be ready to lay down being offended and trust God to enable us to carry out His will. His desire is to help us to come into agreement with each other on every issue. He wants to help us see and understand things the way He does. We all have our own opinions and thoughts on a matter, but God wants us to sincerely seek His thoughts. It’s only when we seek His opinion and discover His mind that we are able to be “of the same mind”. There is no shame in grabbing a hand and saying a prayer with someone you just can't seem to see eye to eye with. Where do you think "one nation under God" came from? Don't let strife become “like releasing water” because of your own stubbornness. That flow can be hard to stop, and you can be sure that there will come a day when you have to dam it up or at least you will wish that you would have from the beginning. Seek the Lord when you get out of harmony with someone. He will give you the wisdom to know how you can stop contributing to the problem and start loving them whether they are seeking Him and His ways or not. It’s not really about what they are doing anyway. It’s about conforming to the Lords will in thought and deed. With God’s help we can live in peace and see every relationship in our lives healed and even flourishing because that is our goal! God promises if we live to please Him, He will make it happen.
When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand. ~Proverbs 16:7 (MSG)
Is there anyone in your life you don't see eye to eye with? How are you handling that situation?
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