“I Disagree!” Devotional #34

 

            How frustrating it is to have disagreements!  A disagreement can lead to even more disagreements if they are not dealt with.  If things are never cleared up what happens next?  A lot of the times what happens is that the relationship will break.  How many friendships have broken up because of disagreements?  How many marriages have ended in divorce because of disagreements?  How many families have suffered because of disagreements?

            Sometimes all it takes to clear up a disagreement is to talk about it with the other person.  Listening to the other person and having them listen to you can do wonders!  The key is to talk not argue.  Something else is needed to clear a disagreement…forgiveness.  The ability to forgive is not always easy but doable.  The only way really to forgive another is to ask the Lord to help us forgive and to help us let the hurt go which is the “forget” part that we hear people say all of the time…”forgive and forget.”  Another key part in clearing up a disagreement is time.  We need to be willing to give each other time to sit and talk things through…time to forgive and heal (“forget”) and time to let time do its thing.  “Time heals all wounds,” to a certain point I agree but healing, true healing can only happen if the truth was stated which is what is needed to clear up a disagreement.

            There’s an example of Paul and Barnabas in the Bible having a disagreement.  When they were planning out their second missionary trip Barnabas told Paul that he wanted to take John (also known as Mark) and Paul disagreed.  Their disagreement was so bad they went their separate ways! 

            Acts 15:36-41, “Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”  Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.  They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.  He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

            It’s amazing to me that these two men of God had such a “sharp disagreement.”  They had gone through a lot together and accomplished a lot.  Even though they had such a great history together they could not see eye to eye on the issue of John.  Paul didn’t want to risk being abandoned by John again whereas Barnabas wanted to give him another chance.  Barnabas ended up going on a separate mission trip with John.  Can you imagine how John must have felt?  It was because of his decision to leave Pamphylia when the circumstances grew difficult that changed Paul’s mind of him.  He no longer believed that John had what it took to be a dependable missionary.

            Thankfully the story doesn’t end there.  Years later while Paul was under house arrest in Rome he wrote a letter to Timothy and in it he mentions John Mark.  2 Timothy 4:11, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”  In Philemon 1:23-24 Paul mentions Mark’s name too, “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.” 

            Disagreements will occur.  Reconciliations can follow if we allow them.  As we see in Paul’s case he gave Mark another chance.  My dear friend I know firsthand how much a disagreement can cause discord, hurt, and or frustration.  I’ve had situations where reconciliation never occurred, relationships were broken and hurts took longer to heal from.  I also know that when there is reconciliation the problem is resolved and the relationship can grow and blossom into what the Lord would want it to.  So, like Paul, we too should give another chance and resolve the problems through prayer.  If the Lord’s will is for the two parties to split then that’s what needs to happen.   

 

My dear friend, thank you for reading this devotional.  Know that I appreciate you and am praying for you.  Thanks for passing on this blog to others!  Please continue to pass it on.  Also, I have a Facebook page for the ministry!  It’s a great way to get updates on the ministry and when the latest devotionals have been posted on this blog.  I also started posting “Thought of the day.” They’re short reads and have gotten great reviews.  Come and join by pressing “like!” on the page:  www.facebook.com/ReflectingTruthMinistries  God bless you!

 

*If you would like to read this same devotional in Spanish or know of someone that would please visit my Spanish blog at www.ministerioreflejandolaverdad.blogspot.com

 

 

“The Dreamer” Devotional #33

 

            One of the “titles” given to me by some is, “The Dreamer.”  I dreamt that I’d be speaking in front of large crowds, be a published author and a Christian singer.  It was because of these dreams I grew more and more excited about being called to ministry. But when I didn’t see them coming true I gave up.  Over time I stopped daring to dream at all and the title went away.

            Now that I’m a bit older, wiser, spiritually and emotionally stronger I’m dreaming again!  These dreams that I believed were dead and gone forever have returned!  Why?  The Lord’s calling on my life didn’t die because my dreams did.  The Lord didn’t give up on me.  I started believing again in God’s calling on my life and through His leading He gave me the “green light” to begin this ministry now.  Not only am I dreaming again my dreams are bigger than ever!  Some have been critical, others have ignored me but this time it doesn’t bother me!  I have had to learn; the very hard way, that constantly worrying about what others think isn’t going to make those dreams come true.  In fact the opposite is true.  It was because I paid attention to pleasing others that I listened to the critics, doubters, the dream-crushers and the result was that I stopped believing. 

I learned that what has to matter more than anything else to me is not the approval of others.  What I need more than anything is for God to approve of me!  What I need is not the opinions of others to propel and keep me going through this ministry or life itself.  What I need is God and to live obediently for Him. 

It is through the emotional growth that the Lord has blessed me with that I can love more than ever before!  God’s love is pure.  It is His unconditional love that flows through me so fiercely that it pours out of me and unto others.  It is because of His love that I can dare to dream again.  Joseph was a young man who was known as a dreamer too in the Bible.  He was the second youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob.  He was the firstborn son of Rachel, Jacob’s true love.  Perhaps one of the reasons for Jacob favoring Joseph and his younger brother, Benjamin, was because Rachel died during Benjamin’s birth.

By the time he was seventeen years old his older brothers couldn’t stand him, Genesis 37:4, “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (NIV)  What made things worst were the two dreams he had.  Both meant that his family would one day bow down to him (Genesis 37:5-10).  It was because of these dreams that his brothers hated even more, Genesis 37:5, “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.” (NIV)

The story doesn’t end there.  His brothers sold him as a slave.  He ended up in Egypt and after many years of emotional pain, increase in wisdom, maturity, strength physically and spiritually, he was placed in a position that in today’s world would be the equivalent to a Prime Minister.  It was through his work for the Pharaoh of Egypt that the Lord saved a nation from starvation.  Not only did He save the nation but the nearby nations were also able to survive because they could buy food from Joseph and the Egyptians.

Later on in the story Joseph’s family were moved by Joseph himself to Egypt.  Seventeen years later Israel (Jacob), his father, died.  His brothers were afraid that Joseph would take revenge upon them.  Joseph showed wisdom, grace and love all at once with his response.  Genesis 50:18-21, “His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.  But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” (NIV)

            The dreamer, Joseph, was used by God.  His purpose was lived out, and that was why he was able to help so many.  Like Joseph you and I have a purpose. Sometimes our dreams are in line with the purpose the Lord has for us.  It is those dreams that we need to pay attention to.  It is those specific dreams that help us get excited, passionate and create a longing in us for what is to come.  Though Joseph went through a lot he never gave up.  His story is a lesson for us all.  Do not give up on your dreams.  Do not give up on yourself.  Most of all do not give up on God.

 

My dear friend, thank you for reading this devotional.  Know that I appreciate you and am praying for you.  Thanks for passing on this blog to others!  Please continue to pass it on.  Also, I have a Facebook page for the ministry!  It’s a great way to get updates on the ministry and when the latest devotionals have been posted on this blog.  I also started posting “Thought of the day.” They’re short reads and have gotten great reviews.  Come and join by pressing “like!” on the page:  www.facebook.com/ReflectingTruthMinistries  God bless you! 

*If you would like to read this same devotional in Spanish or know of someone that would please visit my Spanish blog at www.ministerioreflejandolaverdad.blogspot.com