Devotions: Dealing with Differences

So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

Romans 14:19 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

This chapter begins with Paul talking about not judging other Christians in the way they serve God, namely for what they will or won’t eat or drink, but this can apply to anything that is a matter of conscience or preference. Some think it is alright for Christians to drink alcohol, some think not. Some think we should stick to hymns during church, some like the newer worship songs. The list is endless. What is important is that in our convictions and preferences we pursue peace above all. Everyone is different, not everyone will have the same views. That is why there are so many kinds of churches, so that we can accommodate everyone. But within the church, we need to strive for peace and unity, for building others up instead of tearing them down. Our church could be facing this issue very soon. Our senior pastor is retiring, but it doesn’t matter who the new pastor is, things will change. We have the choice of facing that change with acceptance and grace, or with rejection and criticism. We can work toward peace and unity, humbly giving up our own personal preferences and desire to be right, or we can put up a fight and tear down ways that we don’t like. We need to have this attitude in mind when dealing with fellow believers: to accept them as they are, to not judge what is different, and to put others first. We need to make God and others higher priorities than ourselves. I pray that this is the dominant attitude of our church.

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