I have embraced the fact that the way I view the church is different than many of my contemporaries in ministry. The reason why we gather, what unifies us as a body of believers, and how we express the love of Christ are just a few of the differences. It's this context of ministry forces me to stretch against the walls of orthodoxy. I just don't want to be negative or critical.
After watching a documentary on church life and hearing some of the responses, I realize that there is a lot of negative light shining upon the church as a whole. Too often, in our attempt to bring about change, we are simply raging against the machine. I hear a lot of bitterness and hope to never be in that place.
Do I want to see change? ABSOLUTELY!
Do I believe we need to look inside the walls of the church for solutions? YES!
But I don't want to be seen as a Crusader. I'm not willing to go to war because I view the functions, ministry, or even some of the dogma of doctrine differently. I truly believe there is a better way.
The other day, I was talking with a husband who was experiencing some difficulty in marriage. I stressed with him the need to communicate effectively with his wife. I said, "I find it interesting that we can take classes on how to debate effectively but there isn't much out there on how to have a conversation." How do we approach our differences in the church? How can we hold true to what we believe while accepting those who view things differently? Like many of the things that we face in life, the answer is found in Christ. What did His life look like? How did He face criticism and division? How do we respond even when we know we are right?
Philippians 2:5-11 gives us great insight into the attitude that Jesus displayed while on the earth.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Christ's willingness to serve, rather than be served, is a great example to us. Much of His ministry was spent teaching a group of disciples how to walk with God. Before His death on the cross, He put a towel around His waist and was willing to wash the feet of His disciples. He was careful to honor and respect those who opposed Him, even though He didn't mind dealing with them. In love, He confronted them. On purpose, He gave His life as a ransom for the world. Yes...instead of clinging to all of His rights, He humbled Himself to death.
Humility has been lost in our efforts to be right. Humility is typically not one of the attributes that is pointed out by the world when they discuss the church. Humility is rarely practiced when we view opposing sides of a particular debate. Instead we march on like valiant warriors slaying anyone that would stand in our way. We say it's for the "Truth" - this is the reason we fight. And in the midst of the struggle, we lose credibility with an already confused world. We lose the affection of our brothers in Christ. And we lose respect among those who are different.
I'm not saying that we should never stand for what we believe in. I'm not saying that we should be weak. But when did meekness (strength under control) become a bad word? I truly believe that if we could learn to walk in humility that we would see less "lines in the sand." Humility dissolves division, helps to eliminate conflict, and fosters reconciliation.
While I type these words, I realize that this is an area that I continually have to grow. Thank God that there is grace for it. But what I have seen in my life over these last few years is a willingness to sit down at the table with people that I would typically not even have a conversation with. I have been willing to listen to opposing views, lose some of my own dogma, and try to find common ground with those who are different. It's not easy but the example of Christ compels me to take on the form of a servant. His Spirit within me is a driving force that says being right is not always the best thing.
Think about what humility could do in our marriages. Imagine what takes place when our problems are confronted with "I'm sorry", "What can I change to make this happen?", or "I'm willing to talk about this." Is there anything that we cannot work through when humility is present in our relationships?
How about the kids. Do you realize how little our kids witness humility from the ones who are in charge? I don't know if there is anything more humbling than having to apologize to your child. But it's a place we need to be willing to visit. "If we can't teach them through our successes, then learn to teach them through your failures." ~ Bill Johnson
And of course, the church. Paul said, "Let this mind be in you..." Our attitude should reflect the very nature of Christ. It is through humility that we deal with confrontation. It is with humility that we walk in love for one another. It is humility that allow us to honor each other, bear one another's burdens, and seek to bring reconciliation to the world.
I don't expect one blog to change the world. However, I do hope that it will cause each of us to think about areas we have been unwilling to yield to those around us. Someone once said that we have to choose the mountains that we are willing to die on. My first question is, Do we even know why we are fighting?
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