Romans 12:16
[16] Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. (ESV)
It is fascinating to me that the Apostle Paul would have to tell Christians to live in harmony with one another. You would think that simply being a Christian would be enough to help us to live in harmony with one another. However, Paul did not see it that way. Neither does the Lord. Clearly, we need some reminding that harmony is an ideal we should be striving for in the Family of God.
I have been in churches where sweet harmony helped people to sense the wonderful presence of God. I have been in churches where people treated one another with such contempt and hatred that you could here the hissing of the Enemy of our souls. We need to make a conscious decision which of the two we are willing to permit in God's Kingdom. It starts with each one making that decision.
We are told not to be haughty, but to associate with the lowly. This concept of associating with the lowly is a principle that is very important to our God. Consider the fact that he associated with the lowliest of all by sending his divine Son to this Earth. He sent Him knowing that He would be mistreated, falsely accused, and ultimately put to death.
If the standard of associating with the lowly is none other than Jesus Christ himself, how can we possibly look down at anyone? There will never be a time when anyone in the body of Christ has any high ground to stand on that allows him to look down on another. The foot of the cross is level ground. We are all equal in our need of Christ. We are equal in value to one another.
In what ways have you contributed to strife in a church? In what ways have you contributed to peace and harmony? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to always choose to be a peace maker.
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