5-25-2014

Good Morning All,

        Romans 12:10; “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

      Do you remember the song “Why can’t we be Friends?”  It came out in the mid-1970’s.  It was about 3¾ minutes long and repeated the line “Why can’t we be friends?” 47 times.  Not a lot of lines to learn.  Ironically, it was sung by a group called “War”.  Yet it asked a basic question, why can’t we be friends?  Why is it difficult to get along?  It seems that it is easier to stir up hatred and dissension than it is to foster peace and harmony, but why is this?

    First and foremost, it is our sinful nature at work.  Sin wants only hatred and dissension to abound.  In doing so, it can sow the seeds of despair and try to cause us to doubt God’s love for us.  Yet God completely and thoroughly empowers us to do battle with the devil in this arena.  He calls us, as his children, to love one another in a brotherly fashion.  Yet sometimes this can be very difficult to do, our sinful nature pushes us to distrust others.  Yet God wants us to love.  So here are some ideas to think about and pray about as we ask God to strengthen our attempt to be his loving children.

    One of the first things we need to overcome is the belief that we are so different from each other.  We tend to focus on the visual and try to see how we are different; yet we are far more alike than we are different.  We all want our children and our grandchildren to succeed in life.  We all worthy about our health and the health of our loved ones.  We all mourn the death of those we love.  We are far more the same than we are different and if we focus on that truth; honoring and loving one another will be easier.

    Another obstacle for us is often fear.  We tend to fear what we do not know.  Ask anyone how they felt the first night they slept in their new home and heard the creaks and the moans.  It can be the same with our neighbor.  Until we work out the “creaks and groans” of our relationship it can be tough.  Yet that is the crux of being friends, it is usually not a difference of opinion that separates people it is usually a lack of understanding and fear keeps us from trying to understand one another.

    The greatest obstacle is our own selfishness.  We are willing to see two sides to a story unless one of the sides is mine then the other doesn’t matter.  So here is our greatest task, to ask God to give us a willing heart and a patient spirit.  Then we need to practice what we pray for.  We need to attempt to understand and to see others for who they are; God’s beloved creatures.  We are all to be children of the heavenly Father.  So seek to love one another with the brotherly affection.

Father of love, guide us to be brothers one to another.  Lead us by your Spirit to seek reconciliation and relationships and not anger and distrust.  We ask that you heal those who are wounded and are in broken relationships.  We especially pray for those families which are broken.  Send your healing Spirit.  In the name of Jesus, our risen Savior. Amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret