Enduring Friction That You Might Be Changed

Deuteronomy 12:5, 8---But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

Where has the Lord placed His name today? It is on you, Christian. There is a large portion of the body of Christ that does as they see fit. Instead of joining together with those upon whom God has placed His name, they worship alone. It is much easier to worship alone, to not join with a body of believers. People create problems. The thing we must realize is, I am one! I am part of the problem. Isolating myself will not help. The problems arise when we worship together because we are not yet perfect. Those problems are there so that I may learn and grow. They give me the opportunity to be gracious and demonstrate love and mercy. The problems demonstrate my weaknesses and need for continued growth and fellowship. It is much more comfortable to not be shown my weaknesses through conflict with my brothers and sisters. It is easier to not have to demonstrate mercy and grace. Remember, though, that Jesus said the world would know we are Christians by our love. This love shows the life of Christ when it forgives and is gracious in the face of offenses, not when everyone just gets along. So it is your choice, Christian. You can do as the LORD has directed us in not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together or go the easy route. The easy route is doing as you see fit. The friction in the body is the grinding of the living stones so that they fit into place in the Temple of God.