Don’t Let Foolish Controversies Stand in the Way of Your Mission

You don’t have to search very hard to see division among people in the world we live in today. Social media gives us a front row seat to a multitude of spats, quarrels, and disagreements. It’s one thing to see them unfold online, it’s another thing altogether when they begin to stretch the seams of our own lives and leave rips in the fabric of our relationships.

To my dismay over the past year, I have seen division tear apart a ministry team that I am a part of. This group came together in 2019 with excitement and big goals we wanted to accomplish for God. We were a team filled with strong leaders with strong opinions, and somewhere along the way, we began to let Satan use those characteristics against us. Our enthusiasm about God’s calling for this ministry turned into hurt feelings, frustration, and anger instead.

There is nothing new about division among us. When a group comes together, there are many different social dynamics at work and because we are all flawed humans, disagreements are bound to emerge.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he addresses divisions that he has been made aware of in the church at Corinth. In the opening chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses them in this way, “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” (1 Cor. 1:10 NIV)

This seems like a pretty lofty goal right? I wondered, “how are a group of diverse, sinful humans going to ever be of one mind, united in thought and purpose?” This seemed an unreachable goal until I remembered that my partners in ministry are already of the same mind and thought, we have just lost sight of that truth.

We let our individual opinions lead to divisions that then led to us losing sight of our purpose: to win women to Christ and build them up once they come.

It’s so easy to lose sight of our purpose when we are focused on the small controversies and disagreements that we have with others. But when we remind ourselves and each other that we are all part of the same body, on the same mission, we can come together again for a common cause: the Gospel of the Jesus Christ!

Reflection

Are there relationships in your life that have been divided by disagreements? What is one step toward reconciliation that you can take today?
What are some ways you can redirect your mind back to your purpose when divisions threaten to take you off track?
How can you exhibit the love of Christ by being a peacemaker when disagreements happen?

“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.”

(1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV)

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

(Titus 3:9 NIV)