Diverse, but not Divided (Part 1)

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

If one were to describe today’s societal condition with one word, I think one of the first that spring up would be ‘division.’ Racial division, political division, religious division, generational division… and it’s not just that we are divided; it’s that we seem so harshly divided.
It’s painful to say, but I think we even see harsh division spring up in our own churches. Which ones are traditional and which ones are contemporary? Which ones reach out to millennials? Which ones have the best band, which ones have the best small groups, and which ones have the best outreach? This division is especially upsetting because it contrasts with what Christ calls us to be, which is united (1 Corinthians 1:10, Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:3).
We are the body of Christ, and the body isn’t made up of just one part. It is made up of many different parts intended to work together to bring glory to God. If you are a believer, you have a spiritual gift that is unique to you that God wants to use for His will. Maybe it’s teaching, maybe it’s service, maybe it’s leadership – all can be used in different capacities, and all are wonderful.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 – “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.”
1 Corinthians 12: 14-16 – “Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, ‘I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,’ that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, ‘I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,’ would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?”
Diversity can be a great thing, but I think all too often people fear, and resultantly grow hostile to, what they don’t understand. Diversity can be a result of many different things – generation, personality, culture, etc. It can also be a result of sin. But if our diversity isn’t a result of sin, why don’t we embrace our differences? We put our walls up when we are met with someone who is different or who has different ideas, but just because we are diverse doesn’t mean we should be divided.
Next week I want to focus on, from a millennial standpoint, what I think is one of the biggest dividers in our church is today: the generational difference between the older and younger and how that affects and, in many cases, infects the church. The good news, though, is that the generational difference doesn’t have to be a negative issue. It can actually be a very, very  positive and beautiful thing! I can’t wait to elaborate… ‘till next time. 🙂
Blessings,
Erin
Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!