Grief

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Sometimes the news comes quick. Sometimes the news comes slow. No matter how or when it comes, grief travels in the wake of the news. Grief is heavy, weighty, a burden, especially when it involves someone deeply loved. Grief is not meant to be carried alone. It’s too heavy and may last a while—and that’s ok. That’s what family and friends are for, to share the load. Jesus stood outside the tomb of his friend and wept but He did not weep alone. It was a deep, human moment. “ Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted ” (Matt 5:4). If anyone knows how we feel in grief, it’s Him. But His grief did not linger long, as at the mention of his name, Lazarus came forth. We are not meant to dwell in grief, but should leave room enough for it. Let it run its course. Like the song says, “ Every Storm Runs Out Of Rain .” Another song says, “ The storm We will dance as it breaks The storm It will give as it takes And all of our pain is washed away Don't cry or be afraid Some things...

How To Stand When Misunderstood (part 2)

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Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 that it is the will of God that the church of God, built of the saints of God, be blessed with the Grace and Peace of God through the Christ of God, the God of all Comfort. Since we have this theological agreement, this spiritual relationship and this atmosphere in which we live as believers, what happens when conflict arises? What happens when one person misunderstands another?

First, one must know what the conflict is all about. What happened between the Corinthian church and Paul is that Paul said he would do something and was delayed, nearly at the expense of his life. The church did not know what was happening to Paul except that false shepherds had gotten to the flock and stirred up trouble. They were bad farmers, planting seeds of doubt that resulted in confusion and unhealthy attitudes about Paul. The church had become convinced that Paul was self-serving, untrustworthy, inconsistent, unbalanced, untrained, unsophisticated, incompetent--and the church fell for the deception.

When conflict arises, beware of the contribution of outside influences. Many folks like to meddle in affairs that are not their own. They may have good intentions, but their involvement can be disastrous. If conflict arises, keep it between you and the other party and leave others out. It’s hard work, but the truth must be protected.

Stay tuned as we think about how Paul stood in truth and tears, defending his ministry against misunderstanding.

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