Ghandi.
Not really, that was a quote in a movie though.
Most of us do not choose who we are going to fight in life.
Not every fight is physical.
There are plenty of fights that are more verbal and in other
forms.
People fight, argue and disagree all the time.
Who do you choose to fight with?
What are you even fighting about?
I have seen people fight over some stupid things that have
no significant value.
Some issues have come up with my family about my Grandma’s
possessions since passing.
It breaks my heart to hear my family fighting over an amazing
women’s stuff.
There is no earthly possession that represents Grandma or
Grandpa.
Yet fighting happens.
It breaks my heart that a family so close as ours fights
over who gets what.
Memories are not possessions.
When I think about my Grandma, I think about all the times
we ran into her working at Sears, how she would always try to get a volleyball game
together at whatever family event we had and how she would always tell you
exactly what was on her mind.
I love my Grandma and hate the fighting that has taken place
after she has passed.
So much love destroyed by possessions and power.
I love and miss my grandma, and even just hearing about the
fighting tears me apart.
God gives us a couple of issues that came up between people and
the church.
This is what was given to us to learn from.
In Chapter 15 of Acts an issue comes up about salvation.
Issues came up about whether you had to be circumcised in
order to have faith in Jesus.
Faithful followers who came from a Jewish background said
yes and people without a history of faith came to know Jesus (Gentiles) did not
think so.
There was a discussion of the leaders of the Church.
They came up with a letter to explain their answer to this
question.
They sent leaders to explain what their conclusions were,
the results were positive.
Verse 31…
“The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.”
It encouraged each other from them looking into this matter.
So much fighting can revolve around bickering instead of
fighting a result.
Matthew 18:15-20 gives us this so solve disagreements…
“If a fellow believer hurts you, go
and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a
friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence
of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen,
tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over
from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's
forgiving love.
"Take this most seriously: A
yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to
one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything
at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action.
And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that
I'll be there."
Jesus gives us some great tips about fighting and
confrontation…
1. Go to
that person first.2. If they won’t listen bring in a mediator that both people respect.
3. In the Church aspect, you tell the entire group.
4. Offer the chance for forgiveness and repentance.
We can fight over some pointless things and ruin some great
relationship over fighting over some meaningless things.
The church in Acts 15 were able to work out their
differences.
Are you willing to stop bickering and try to workout those relationships
in your life that have went wrong?
God always gives us a second chance, are you willing to do
the same?
Sometimes the first step is the hardest.
Are you willing to forgive just like God has forgiven you?
Have a great day.
