R-E-L-A-X

One word, powerful meaning. Aaron Rodgers the QB of the hated Green Bay Packers (jk, I am a Lions fan ;) ) was asked after a game how the team was struggling and what they were going to do. Rodgers told the media this one word R-E-L-A-X. People thought the season could be over for the Packers, but not long after Rodgers famously said this word, the Packers went on a great run.

What made a difference?

There was story told in the movie Draft Day about Joe Montana. Before leading his team down the field for the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, Joe picked out John Candy in the crowd and said, wow, look at that John Candy is here, that is cool (Paraphrasing). They said it calmed everyone down in the huddle and they went down the field and made history. Because it was in a movie, I am not sure if the story is true or not. I would like to believe so.

Two great quarterbacks, two unifying remarks that changed the course of the team. We have the ability to do this when we unify and not divide.

Paul shares about some people that were close but now were divided. His goal was to unite the people again…

Philippians 4:2, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.”

It seems at one point these two were close and a great help to the author Paul, yet now they are divided. Paul tries to bring them closer together again. Paul was about unity. Yes, even followers of Jesus have great divisions.

R-E-L-A-X. Rodgers said this and it calmed his team down. What if he did the opposite, what if he in that interview blamed others? How much would that have changed the season? We might not know, but everyone saw the reaction and the response of the team when it’s leader calmed everyone down.

You have a choice today, to bring people together or tear them apart.

Paul pleaded with a couple of Christians to be united, what can we do today to be united with someone we have been distant from?

Have a great day.

Long Division

Why are we doing this was a thought as we sat in math class and used long division. Math was often like this, we did the work and were not sure why we did functions, proofs, finding x etc. What was the point? It didn't make any sense why we had to do it. When I look back from long division on, it was a challenge, but even at a young age long division got easier with time.

In life we have to deal with division of a different kind, sometimes it's a long division. I have seen this happen between friends, family, marriages, the church and people I love dearly. It's a sad state to see division of any kind, but God is still God and can bring us out of division when we trust in him.

1 Corinthians 1:10...
"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought."

My church has been in the process of hiring a worship minister. After much prayer and consideration I saw our leaders move forward with this process. It's not an easy process feelings have been hurt and not everyone saw eye to eye with it and voiced concern. It's not an easy task as we move forward. When I read this verse it just sunk in. The church needs to be an example to the rest of the people. United we stand needs to be a statement for the whole church. There are things that we don't always understand but it still means we need to move forward united.

A question we have to ask ourselves with life...Are we causing division or unity? With what we say is it making a situation better or worse? I have seen marriages struggle and end in divorce. I have seen marriages I thought were going to end in divorce be remarkably saved and improved.

Life is full of long division and not just in math. Yet division can go away when we all move towards the same goal. We never will always agree with everyone, but there is beauty when we trust what we don't always understand.

Are you the one that is creating division in your life, among your loved ones, among the house of Jesus? If so what can you to help to be unified? You can be divided or united. Which do you choose?
Have a great day.