In his book, Until Unity, Francis Chan discusses this topic of separation. Comparing what we grieve versus what the scriptures grieve. What separates us as a people and then as followers. This book is not a feel good book. It's a call you out book. It's a "challenge you to do better" book. In fact, I've had to take reading it in strides as I've tried to reflect on his points and accept his challenges. With that said though, I've really enjoyed this book and wanted to share this particular quote that has stuck with me and to share my thoughts that I worked through one day after sitting with this quote.
"Often the things that bother us are not the things that bother God. Meanwhile, He is disturbed by things in which we seem indifferent." - Francis Chan
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We often talk about the superiority or the downfalls of a particular faith group or denominations. Why one is better than the other. Why Lutherans, Reformers, Catholics, Baptists do what they do. In a sense we align and pride ourselves on how we worship vs. who we worship. The how is what grieves us. Maybe our focus needs to shift and align with how the Lord grieves over our differences and why we can't just find unity in the one God, and the one Savior who died on that one cross that one night so many years ago coming back to life that one time to give us life for all eternity. I imagine this is what bothers God, - thousands of denominations of divisiveness versus one church finding unity in Christ.
I wonder if God is bothered about the amount of worship songs and hymns we sing on a given Sunday like we are? Or the fact that a church does or does not allow coffee in the worship center/sanctuary? Do you think He cares about the building we worship in? The style? Aesthetics?
I’ll just mention politics. And of course what bothers us in the political realm doesn’t come close to what bothers the Lord.
We are a divisive nation. A segregated church. There isn’t a lot of love oozing out of us to reach the unreached. Unity is not on the top of our list of worries. Why not?
Jesus speaks so often about oneness in the New Testament. Oneness with Him and each other. And we find oneness with love and sacrifice. If we aren’t living with those two things in mind, we are losing the basics of the Christian faith. Jesus himself lived a life full of love and sacrifice and even ended his life living out those two words for us.
So take a look today at what bothers you in life. Then in the church. Are those things that would bother God? Is what grieves you, what grieves Him? Most likely not. It wasn’t for me. So let’s take a moment to reset, shift, and turn our eyes to the Lord and His word and look to Him for what our hearts should be aligned with.
Then pray the simple prayer in words but powerful in action. “Break my heart for what breaks yours Lord.”
