Monday, March 26, 2012

Factions and Tests--All Part of God's Plan--Go Figure

Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: 1 Corinthians 11:19 Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine.

Observation: This verse is an observation in and of itself. Interesting.

Application: Much of life is a test. It is sometimes a test of will, sometimes a test of faithfulness, sometimes a test of devotion, sometimes a test of sincerity, sometimes a test of character, sometimes a test steadfastness or, in the case of the verse above, genuineness. I’m sure there are many other types of tests that could be listed as well.

Sometimes we do not like tests of any kind. The very word conjures up anxiety in some of us. Will we pass? We sometimes fear that the answer might be “no.”

But tests can also be a good thing. I know a university professor who likes to give his students lots of tests because he sees each test as a learning event. Indeed. Whether the learning is pleasant or painful, it is still a form of learning.

Prior to reading Paul’s verse above I had never thought of factions as a way of testing genuineness. And I’ll readily admit that I’m a little uneasy about that consideration because it seems to contribute toward the concept of one side being completely right and the other side being completely wrong. Normally, it seems to me, life is a bit more complicated than that.

Nevertheless, all of us need our genuineness tested now and then. In each case is the opportunity for learning—learning more about ourselves, more about others, more about community, more about God and, ultimately, more about the relationship that our Lord has established with us through Christ.

According to Paul, one of the ways that we learn is through imitation. “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” Paul says in the first verse of this chapter.

I think he is onto something.

Prayer: Lord, one of the things I appreciate about Paul is that he seems to find your power working through almost any situation. I know this intellectually, of course, and your word is filled with examples. Still, in personal times of struggle it’s easy to lose sight of such things. Frankly, I don’t always feel prepared for your ‘tests’—for the things you can teach me through every-day life experiences at work or home. If you had a Facebook page dedicated to your “tests,” it’s doubtful that I would be inclined to “like” it—though maybe I would at least check it out every now and then, just in case…In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Joshua 23-24, Psalm 44, and 1 Corinthians 11)

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