Verse Text: “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.”
We all know the Christian family is under attack. We don’t need to hear statistics. We’re surrounded by friends and family members whose hearts and homes have been broken. I pray that this awareness is compelling all of us to guard our hearts and our families more diligently than ever. However there is more than one way to attack the “Christian family”. I believe the enemy is working just as aggressively against the body of Christ as He is against the nuclear Christian family. He seeks to sew seeds of division where there is unity and hatred where there is love. He knows that wherever he can undermine God’s established order, he has won a victory.It seems to me that our defenses against both kinds of attacks are very similar. I would like to speak specifically about how to defend against attacks on the church. But first let me say a few words about why we care. God says, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.” (1 John 2:9) That’s pretty clear. We can’t claim to walk in the light of God and continue to resent our brothers and sisters. I know some folks who have twenty and thirty year old grudges they still carry. Imagine the weight! Imagine how it affects their relationships with God.
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Secondly, In John 13:35 God tells us that our love for one another shows people we are His disciples. We can’t say we really care about a desperate world unless we are willing to do whatever it takes to give an example worth following. That’s what Jesus did for us.So how do we avoid falling for the subtle manipulations of the enemy? I believe the core answer is to love God with all our hearts and keep our eyes fixed on Him. When we truly do this, many secondary issues take care of themselves. However, here are a few specific thoughts on dealing with some of these issues. DON’T BE EASILY OFFENDED. “Love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs.” (I Cur. 13:4) I think a good bit of the secret here is humility. A humble person will tend to overlook offenses whereas pride will stew over a perceived offense until it grows into something so large we can’t see around it. Humility, of course, is easier said than done. It’s a day to day, moment by moment decision. If we truly have a desire to be humble, I believe God will be faithful to remind us in the critical moments. (If a brother has actually sinned against us, there is provision made in Matthew 18:15-17. However, these are not steps to be taken lightly. Anger, hurt feelings and even strong disapproval on my part does not necessarily constitute sin on your part.)
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