YGT: Church Hurts (The Purpose-Driven Strife)

There are few things worse in a congregation than lingering church hurt.  Church hurt happens when someone has been seriously disappointed by people who confess Christ.  For some, it harms their ability to have healthy relationships with churchgoers.  For others, it keeps them away from the church completely. If we're honest with ourselves, it has affected each of us in different ways.  What do we do with the strife of the church?


In the Hebrew, the word for strife is "meribah".  It is noteworthy that the word Meribah is also the name of a mountain that Moses struck and water poured out (Numbers 20 below).  Moses was angry and struck the rock when God had instructed him to speak to the rock.  Could this be what God is calling for us to do in our strife with others (speaking instead of striking)?  


Arguments are unavoidable and those who believe they can avoid conflict aren't being honest about relationships. Any interaction with two people will expose differences.  In fact, you likely haven't had a good relationship until you've had a real disagreement.   However, strife shouldn't divide or isolate.


Anger, contention, and disagreements don't have to destroy relationships.  Strife can be like the mountain of Meribah.  It can be a hard place that produces living water.  Today, take the time to work through church hurts and let God get the glory from your strife.  

Lord, the church is Your creation, like us.  And like us, it's imperfect.  We claim to know you, yet our relationships are filled with dysfunction.  Please give us the grace to forgive others and the humility to admit fault.  Thank you for the example at Meribah.  Help us speak when we're tempted to strike.  To You, Great Peacemaker, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power.  Amen.

Healing,

j.a.g.

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Numbers 20:7-13 (King James Version)

7And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
8Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
13This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.