Tag: Influence

Guarding the Unity of the Church

“…eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:3

People leave churches for different reasons. Sometimes that happens in a healthy and God-honoring way. At other times, it does not. Most of the time, people do not leave all at once. They drift. Little by little, influences and opportunities begin to pull them away from the life and unity of the church.

Scripture calls us to think carefully about the nature of the church. God has not designed His people to live in isolation, nor to create parallel or competing expressions of church life. He gathers His people into visible, accountable communities that are shepherded by recognized leaders, shaped by His Word, and marked by unity.

Because of that, we should be thoughtful when invitations or opportunities arise, especially those that exist outside the life and accountability of a local church, or that begin to function as a parallel influence on our direction, doctrine, or spiritual growth. This can take many forms: independent gatherings, loosely connected Bible studies, online voices that begin to shape our thinking, or groups that function without clear shepherding or accountability.

Not every invitation is helpful. And not every gathering is wise to join.

Wisdom asks simple questions:
– Is this drawing me closer to the life of my church, or subtly away from it?
– Is this reinforcing the teaching and leadership God has placed over me or competing with it?
– Is this strengthening unity or introducing confusion?

Christ loves His church. He gave Himself for her. And the unity He creates is not maintained by accident, it is guarded through conviction, clarity, and a faithful commitment to the church He died for.

Guard the unity Christ has given by remaining faithfully committed to a biblical church, and by being wise and careful when that commitment is challenged or changed.

“Frozen” Cereal?

15833676258_80c302e68b_z 2Oh wow,  I just heard my dad’s voice, quoting my mother, coming out of my own mouth.  Nooooo!  It cannot be.  (*hanging my head and sighing audibly.)

So I went by the store on my way home the other day.  I was on a simple mission: go in, get a few items (on my list), get out, go home.  As I passed the end-cap of the aisle those mean grocery people had placed a gimmick-cereal there in order to grab the attention of little girls and soft-hearted fathers of little girls; Frozen.

Just to make sure the big softy could not refuse, the cereal was basically just a dumbed down version of Lucky Charms.  It only had two kinds of marshmallows “snow and ice crystals.”  I know…boring colors, right?

Oh yeah, and because Kellogg knows that dads have a hard time denying their daughters happiness, the box is smaller but costs just the same.  Thanks a lot Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven.  In my defense it does say, in all capital letters, right across the top of the box “Collector’s Edition”.

So now we’re sitting at the breakfast table with little people eating their Frozen cereal.  They are smiling, fully absorbed in the cartoon images on the box, and bouncing ever so slightly in their seats.  Then it happened.

“Stop eating the marshmallows with your fingers … you are going to eat all of your cereal, not just the colors.”  Aaaaaaahh!  My dad’s voice, my mom’s words, and my own mouth.  The only consolation is that I did not employ the “there are starving children in Africa” line.

Upon recovering from this echo from my childhood, three things quickly cross my mind:

  1. It is not the end of the world if the kids only eat the marshmallows.
  2. I am so thankful for my mom and dad (especially their patience).
  3. As a father I am always influencing my children, always.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger (bad influence), but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (good influence).”  Ephesians 6:4