RE Verse reading–Acts 15:1-29 (day one) “This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question” (vs 2) By nature, I am a “pleaser”. Normally, I really do want people to “be pleased”–not with me, but with life! It isn’t always a wise approach. The truth is that the truth has enemies. Some outside the church. Some inside. Sometimes (frequently) the Lord asks things from us that make us uncomfortable, resistant. When conflict comes (and it does-in church, in business, in friendships) I am learning to reference the Spirit of God rather than my own needs or emotional preferences. I doubt I will ever enjoy conflict. Sad if I did. I do know, however, there is a way to walk with the Spirit when it does. If He is available, why would we not seek Him?
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Glad you are smiling Blake. I have been praying for you. God bless you!
Because we believe/are deceived into thinking we do not need Him.
Of course there is also the issue that He will tell us what He has always been telling us through the scriptures which He inspired. He will tell us to love one another, serve one another, humble ourselves and apologize/seek peace, consider others above ourselves, have equal concern for one another in the Body, etc. This really is no big mystery to anyone familiar with the Bible.
There are times when you just need to hold situations before the Lord and confess you have messed up in what He has required of you to the extent that you really do not know where to begin/feel hopeless… but still in that my experience is that He will tell me to love others…. even my enemies, humble myself and apologize/seek peace, consider others above myself, have equal concern for one another in the Body, etc.
“Love” for the Lord that does not ground out in love for others is completely false…. no matter what one professes. (If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.)