Cut The Ties

This past weekend I was back in Niceville, and I was talking about how I am going to be back three weekends in the month of October. In response I was told by someone to cut the ties. I definitely wasn't a fan of that, because I don't think they understood why I was back. But that's not the problem. The problem is that is how the world wants us to feel. Most of us when we leave for college want and plan on cutting the ties back home. But after thinking about this a lot I see it as a misguided way of thinking and acting.

Ephesians 4:1-6

¹I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience,bearing with one another in love, ³eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one^>hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

If we are called to maintain a unity of the Spirit how can we do this by cutting ties with people just because they are from our hometown? We can't do it. We have to be unified with believers across the world not just from our hometown, and the truth is we aren't going to like some of them. We aren't going to like where they live or whatever. It doesn't matter. What matters is that we lived consumed by the Spirit maintaining a unity among the church. If we aren't living a life defined by the Spirit back home location isn't going to change anything. We can't run from our problems read Jonah's story. We have to offer up our lives completely and wholly to our Lord and live consumed by the Spirit everywhere.

Ephesians 4:11-16

¹¹And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹²^> to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵Rather,^> speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

I didn't just write this blog, because what was said to me angered me. I wrote it because after leaving Niceville my heart was grieving for our church back home. I didn't see a lot of people being transformed by the Spirit, and I felt like there was an attitude of love missing. Granted I was only there for a weekend, but it tore me to pieces. I want us to get it. I want us to live and speak the truth in love. The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. And yes that includes people you don't like. They are plenty of people in Gainesville I hang out with, and the only thing we have in common is the Spirit of God. That is powerful. That is noticeable and genuine. I'm not trying to say I have it all together, but it pains me so much when the church isn't acting like a family. So let's love like we mean it. Let's ask the Holy Spirit into all of our lives so that people will see us and praise our God.

Colossians 3:14

¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Love is above all. Jesus overcame the world, but our lives don't show it. Let's overcome the world with good and with love like Paul tells us to in Romans. Jesus didn't shed his blood so we could meet once a week and talk about Scripture. He died so we could spend eternity with God, and so we could have the Holy Spirit to transform us. Let's plead and beg for the Holy Spirit to transform our lives into lives defined by fruit.

Galatians 5:22-24

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.