One thing we did when playing ball at school or in the neighborhood as kids always causes awkward and uncomfortable moments: choosing sides. I hated being the team “captain” and having to choose whom I wanted on my team. Invariably, someone would get their feelings hurt because a captain chose them after someone they thought was not as good a player. The strategy was not always to choose the best player, but to choose one’s closest friends. I always felt sorry, too, for the last person chosen.
As uncomfortable as that was for a childhood activity, it is equally uncomfortable, and infinitely more abominable in God’s eyes when we do it in church. You know the scenario: something doesn’t go someone’s way and that someone sets about recruiting people to be on his “side.” It is even more shameful when done by one in lay or pastoral leadership.
Our role as leaders is to equip the church to function efficiently and effectively as a cohesive body. Gathering “our people” to support our cause creates an “us against them” lose-lose situation. It’s not just leaders that stir up trouble, however, lay people often fall into the same trap. Emails, phone calls, secret meetings to plan strategy are worldly ways of conducting heavenly business.
In Proverbs 6:16-19, God tells us that there are 7 things that God finds abominable. The 7th item on the list is one who sows discord among the brothers. It is OK to disagree; in fact, disagreements usually prove beneficial as ideas are exchanged and insights shared. Not every one has to agree with everything all the time – that is an unreasonable expectation. The problem comes when we employ fleshly means to come to a spiritual conclusion. According to 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 God considers such behavior as immature and childish as choosing sides on the ball field. It’s one thing to have a childlike faith, it’s something else altogether to act childish.
The Bible gives us both reactive and proactive instructions relating to divisions in church. First, in a reactive way, we are told to notice and avoid those who cause division (Romans 16:17, Titus 3:10-11). Then, in a proactive, prescriptive way, God tells us to seek unity not in a person, but in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-3). Rather than rallying people to our side, we should make sure we are on God’s side and we should seek to know and do God’s desire rather than any individual.
Let’s stop choosing up sides and recognize that God has chosen us to be on HIS SIDE. Let’s quit trying to win people over to our favor and work feverishly to promote the kingdom of God.
Quiet time exercise: read the Scriptures linked above and ask God to help you see those who cause division for what they are and to show you how you can help bring about unity of the Spirit.
