Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
There is a misconception that I believed for years and it revolves around a definition of unity. The false definition is the absence of conflict. The true one is more like a one-mindedness that allows for the peaceable resolution of healthy conflict. The first one does not acknowledge healthy conflict. Lot and Abraham had a conflict over land which could have boiled into civil war had it not been for the quick and decisive action by Abraham. They went their separate ways and crisis was averted.The unhealthy way to deal with it would have been for the two men to, for the sake of unity, pretend there was no problem until it blew up in their faces.
LIke cancer, early detection saves lives. I have learned that recently and praise God for it. Waiting until symptoms arrive is too late. It is the same with church leadership and conflict. Early detection and action, like Abraham exemplified, is key and prevents church splits from happening. Waiting until the pressure erupts like a volcano is too late. The damage is done and trust is lost, making it hard to regain. If there is burgeoning tension in your church or your family. Pray about that today and resolve to resolve it in double quick time. Ephesians 4 stresses the church in unity. Strive for that and…
Let there be no strife between you and others.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church