Read: Ephesians 4:1-3, 15-16
Everyone has a variation of that dream where they’re suddenly whisked away from the troubles of this world into a private paradise where the only person you have to deal with is yourself. For me, it’s the cabin somewhere in Montana, hunting elk by day, and pondering the silence of the wilderness by night.
Let’s face it—relationships are the hardest part of life. Plowing through email and sweating the details of a corporate deal are nothing compared to having to deal with someone you’ve hurt or disappointed or who has betrayed or disrespected us.
Personal hurts are the reason why so many people fear joining a church or refuse to play their part in ministry. But Jesus calls us into deep relationship as the body of Christ—to the point where we are family, belonging to one another (Romans 7:4)—precisely because He knows that those kinds of non-voluntary relationships will be the toughest challenge we will face.
Jesus loves us enough to know that only his holiness and righteousness can produce the spirit of unity in the bond of peace. And He’s determined to give us every opportunity to discover that we fall short so that we come running to Him for grace and mercy. If the desire of our hearts is to become fully mature in Christ, the true embodiment of his character, we can’t opt out of the experience of living in the family of God, his church, shaping and being shaped by one another in grace and Truth.
