Craig Clouston

 

Refuse to be Used

August 16

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

Psalm 133:1

Addie wasn’t just disappointed, she was angry, “This carpet is the wrong shade of blue! We ordered ‘Slate Blue’, not ‘Saxony Blue’!”

“I’m sorry, Ma’am,” the driver said. “This is what the purchase order said to deliver,” he said, showing her the manifest.

“I don’t care what your piece of paper says! I know what we ordered!”

The driver was getting uncomfortable. He’d had unsatisfied customers before, but this lady was coming unglued. “Well, why don’t we call the store and talk to the salesman who sold you the carpet.”

“You do that!” she spat. “And while you’re doing that, I’ll call the pastor and we’ll see what he has to say about your establishment’s incompetence!”

In truth, the color difference in the two shades was virtually indiscernible. But this woman was acting like he’d sold her firstborn into captivity.

As the driver dialed his boss, the thought popped into his head that Dad was right; carpet color creates major issues when it comes to dealing with churches.

†

Sound silly? Unfortunately, today’s story is factual. More churches have split over the color of their new carpet or the style of chairs or pews to use in the sanctuary than because of theological or doctrinal differences.

David, in today’s text, had seen both the good and bad in people by the time he wrote the 133 Psalm. He, like his son, Solomon, discovered that living in unity was preferable to an atmosphere of strife and dysfunction. Both wrote frequently about the benefits of being like-minded and working together instead of letting little things become much larger issues. They knew that when pettiness surfaces, good sense goes out the window. Sensible people become irrational and nasty. And nothing can stop a move of God quicker.

Satan searches constantly for petty hearts within the church. And wherever he can find willing participants, he puts them to work.

The only way to ensure that God has His way with in our lives is for us to refuse to be used by the enemy.

Prayer

“Holy Spirit, make me aware when Satan is trying to enlist my participation. Show me if I become petty and divisive. Help me create a spirit of unity among the brethren. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”