Today's Devotional

June 20, 2003

Subject:  When God's Children Get Along

1 Corinthians 12:12 - "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ."

I've now banned the words "Daddy/Mr. Carlen, (name of one of the children inserted here)."  I hear it everyday.  The complaint is always about something the other person did or is doing.  "Daddy, Patrick ...., Mr. Carlen, Caylah...,  Daddy, Caisa..." and on and on it goes.  My order now is for them to talk it out, work it out or do what is necessary to resolve the issues between themselves.  It's amazing how they always seem to end up playing once again and the periods are now somewhat longer before I get another "Daddy/Mr. Carlen" plea.  I believe we'll get there.  We've got quite a bit of summer left.

Everybody remembers the famous line from Rodney King.  "Why can't we all just get along?"  I often find myself uttering a similar phrase when it comes to the body of Christ.  The church has long been invaded by racism, sexism, classism, denominationalism and a whole host of "isms" that keep us from being the church that God designed us to be.  We look at these issues and run to God with "Father, (insert your own scapegoat here)."  

When we understand that we are all in this together, we can begin to work on our issues.  Perhaps that might not be until Caylah, Patrick and Caisa and a whole host of others who are being taught that we must resolve our issues to be all that the Father desires that we be, take charge.  

As a dad or as a parent in general, I'm sure you know the feeling.  It's great when the children get along.

Carlen