Disagreements

https://odb.org/MY/2021/10/07/current-battles

I think if you read the Scriptural readings for today’s ODB, Philippians 3:12-19 and 4:1-2, you will see that Paul’s aim is to persuade the two conflicting believers, Euodia and Syntyche to make peace, to be of the same mind. Basically Paul is saying that we should press on towards the goal to win the prize that God has called us heavenward, forgetting what is behind but straining forward. If we have a different view, let God make it clear to us but live up to what we have already attained although we may not have fully taken hold of what Christ has for us. In other words, Paul is saying that as much as we are all WIP, don’t waste whatever that we have achieved thus far. Don’t let conflict and disagreement set us back. Using the analogy of a race, if we are already at 5,000m of a 10,000m race, don’t fall back to 3,000m and start running from there again!

In my 37 years as a believer, I have seen conflicts leading to splits in churches and congregations. In a system of many branches, unjust treatment of branches or outlying full time workers and pastors had led to a major split in my previous church, with large chunks of congregations leaving to form their own breakaway churches or fellowships. I was a young Christian then and was thus not privy to what actually transpired but I do know that the inequality was real and the unwillingness of the founders and the central leadership of letting go control was probably real too. Instead of the HQ supporting the branches, the branches were told to fend for themselves and yet were expected to still send tithes back to the centre. With hindsight, I believe much more could have been achieved if both dueling sides then had made peace and if both sides had taken Paul’s advice in Philippians. Be of one mind but if you think otherwise, let God make it clear to you – we forget what’s behind and push forward but at least don’t let all that’s been achieved go to waste. Live up to what God has done in your life till then. It’s water under the bridge, it’s pointless to blame after nearly 30 years – just that as I reflect I believe much more could have been achieved if all these splits and breakaways didn’t occur. There could have been and would have been success stories, but for those that remained on survival mode or died, I believe the outcome would certainly had been different if God had had His way in His fullness of glory.

What’s our takeaway? We press forward towards the goal that God has called us to heavenward, forgetting what’s behind. As much as we have not fully taken hold of the goal, we must live up to what has been achieved and if we have a different view, let’s all talk it out and let God speak to us all that we may all be of the same mind. This hope may be a dream as demonstrated by the countless splits we have seen in the church throughout generations but we must continue to believe and work for feuding minds to reconcile and make peace. I believe we will achieve much more as a united body, than fragmented disunited pieces. With mutual respect and support and with more autonomy given, even large organisations can function well through smaller branches and cell groups.