...excerpts from This Day's Thought Jan.18, 201537-41 Barnabas wanted to take John along, the John nicknamed Mark. But Paul wouldn’t have him; he wasn’t about to take along a quitter who, as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways: Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus; Paul chose Silas and, offered up by their friends to the grace of the Master, went to Syria and Cilicia to build up muscle and sinew in those congregations.
When Good Men Disagree by Jimmy Chapman
Disagreements between people are going to happen. It’s human nature to disagree with one another at times because we are different people! We are made out of the same stuff, dirt, but we are different people in spirit, attitude, thinking, etc.
The cause was greater than their disagreement.
They did not NURSE their disagreement. Nursing your hurt will only cause you to become bitter. Bitter people lose their zeal and zest.
They did not REHEARSE their disagreements
They did not gossip about it or spread it among others.
Sometimes God in His grace (and in His sense of humor) throws us together with people who grate against us in order to sandpaper our rough edges.
Let’s face it. I don’t need patience, forbearance, gentleness, and kindness when the other person sees everything my way! I don’t need to learn to deny myself when the other person thinks that I’m a wonderful guy.
But when there is a clash, God often confronts me with my selfishness and stubbornness. If I submit to Him and don’t bail out of the difficult relationship, He will use it to develop those Christlike qualities in me.
Who is the real enemy? The person you are having a clash with is not your enemy nor your adversary.
The British admiral, Lord Nelson, once came on deck and found two of his officers quarreling. He whirled them around, pointed to the enemy ships, and exclaimed, “Gentlemen, there are your enemies!”
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