Over one hundred and fifty years ago, in a little town called Appomattox Court House, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant, Lt. General of the Union forces. This took place in the parlor of the home of a man named Wilmer McLean. Pushing west from Petersburg, Va. General Lee had planned on meeting up with an army out of North Carolina. As Grant’s army pestered and frustrated these plans, the men of the Confederacy became more and more weary. Low on food and supplies, they were finally cut off at Appomattox, Va and were left with not much choice but to surrender. A relentless commander, Lt. General Grant had been known for his terms of “Unconditional Surrender”. He was a man of Grace that day. Laying forth terms that were unexpected by General Lee, Grant was a man seeking to end a long and bloody war by offering generous terms, which Lee excepted.
I spent my high school years in this tiny town, two stop lights at the time, a couple of grocery stores and burger joints. As I walked those hallowed hills and soaked in the heritage there, I recognized that the peace forged that day so long ago, was missing in the world around me. There was always some dictator or world leader who wanted to pick a fight with the U.S. In my own home, it was hard to always get along with my brothers or sister. Peace was allusive, and it still is.
In our own lives, we are rarely in control of anything. So much of our time and the decisions we make are affected by others and their choices. We have ideas that get frustrated by another person’s own plans and we either give way to them or elevate things to a level of confrontation. This is done not only in our households, but on our roadways and workplaces. If we were honest, we would readily admit that much of our lives are spent doing something that someone else tells us to or forces us to do. Many times we are at odds with others simply because the differing ideas collide. We war, plot, and scheme about the next approach we will make towards this enemy. Our skirmishes do not lead to peace of any kind and so we retreat back to camp only to develop strategy about the next encounter.
From our politics to our Faith, we stand in opposition to many with differing views. We think that we are right and the other side is wrong. Honestly, the only way that we can know this for sure is to search for Truth. The Bible suggests that within its pages lies Truth. As we seek the Lord, He says that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all Truth. Investigating further, we can clearly see what God says about certain issues and how to discern them. When it comes to issues of Faith at least, we have guidance on moral absolutes and which areas may be gray. If we are to look anything like Jesus, we would do well to follow His words.
Starting with Loving God and because of that Love, loving others, we are given a broad brush by which to paint our world. Looking at some of the finer points, we can know how this Love should work itself out. When we love others, we will tell them the Truth for their own good. Not in a harsh and unloving way, but sprinkling the Truth into our conversations. By esteeming others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-5), we will show them that they are valued and they matter to us. We must learn to disagree with people without making them out to be the enemy. When we give voice to issues, we must remember who we represent and that we are His ambassadors to a lost and broken world. When we disagree with those that are in the “family of God”, let it be done with all meekness and humility. When we apply labels onto those we disagree with, we are not only hurting them but giving a black eye to the One who died to erase all divisions. He cannot draw all men to himself (John 12:32) if we are pushing them away.
When we get it wrong, we must be humble enough to apologize and seek to restore broken relationships. When we speak in ways that are not loving, we must seek to regain that brother or sister that we spoke wrongly to. Although, as believers, we will be opposed to much of the world’s ways, we can find better ways to disagree with them than to react in a way that they would. We must remember that, once, we were also like them; foolish and without the Knowledge that has since been revealed to us by our Loving King.
Let us find better ways to engage the culture rather than clash with it. Let us seek to Love them with the Compassion that was shown to us. Let us lay down our rights to be up in arms over the issues that the culture pushes us to the brink of. Let us call sinners to repentance, but using Grace as our weapon of choice and not condemnation. Let us see the opposing side, not as an enemy of war, but as a group of people who have lost their way and have not Come Home yet. Let us Shine our Lights and Lead them Home. Let us be the ones who surrender our right to be upset, for the greater good of advancing the Gospel. His Peace in our hearts should also be on our lips. The fragrance of His Love should be on our breath. Let us not forget the price He has paid and that He wants ALL to come to repentance!
I spent my high school years in this tiny town, two stop lights at the time, a couple of grocery stores and burger joints. As I walked those hallowed hills and soaked in the heritage there, I recognized that the peace forged that day so long ago, was missing in the world around me. There was always some dictator or world leader who wanted to pick a fight with the U.S. In my own home, it was hard to always get along with my brothers or sister. Peace was allusive, and it still is.
In our own lives, we are rarely in control of anything. So much of our time and the decisions we make are affected by others and their choices. We have ideas that get frustrated by another person’s own plans and we either give way to them or elevate things to a level of confrontation. This is done not only in our households, but on our roadways and workplaces. If we were honest, we would readily admit that much of our lives are spent doing something that someone else tells us to or forces us to do. Many times we are at odds with others simply because the differing ideas collide. We war, plot, and scheme about the next approach we will make towards this enemy. Our skirmishes do not lead to peace of any kind and so we retreat back to camp only to develop strategy about the next encounter.
From our politics to our Faith, we stand in opposition to many with differing views. We think that we are right and the other side is wrong. Honestly, the only way that we can know this for sure is to search for Truth. The Bible suggests that within its pages lies Truth. As we seek the Lord, He says that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all Truth. Investigating further, we can clearly see what God says about certain issues and how to discern them. When it comes to issues of Faith at least, we have guidance on moral absolutes and which areas may be gray. If we are to look anything like Jesus, we would do well to follow His words.
Starting with Loving God and because of that Love, loving others, we are given a broad brush by which to paint our world. Looking at some of the finer points, we can know how this Love should work itself out. When we love others, we will tell them the Truth for their own good. Not in a harsh and unloving way, but sprinkling the Truth into our conversations. By esteeming others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-5), we will show them that they are valued and they matter to us. We must learn to disagree with people without making them out to be the enemy. When we give voice to issues, we must remember who we represent and that we are His ambassadors to a lost and broken world. When we disagree with those that are in the “family of God”, let it be done with all meekness and humility. When we apply labels onto those we disagree with, we are not only hurting them but giving a black eye to the One who died to erase all divisions. He cannot draw all men to himself (John 12:32) if we are pushing them away.
When we get it wrong, we must be humble enough to apologize and seek to restore broken relationships. When we speak in ways that are not loving, we must seek to regain that brother or sister that we spoke wrongly to. Although, as believers, we will be opposed to much of the world’s ways, we can find better ways to disagree with them than to react in a way that they would. We must remember that, once, we were also like them; foolish and without the Knowledge that has since been revealed to us by our Loving King.
Let us find better ways to engage the culture rather than clash with it. Let us seek to Love them with the Compassion that was shown to us. Let us lay down our rights to be up in arms over the issues that the culture pushes us to the brink of. Let us call sinners to repentance, but using Grace as our weapon of choice and not condemnation. Let us see the opposing side, not as an enemy of war, but as a group of people who have lost their way and have not Come Home yet. Let us Shine our Lights and Lead them Home. Let us be the ones who surrender our right to be upset, for the greater good of advancing the Gospel. His Peace in our hearts should also be on our lips. The fragrance of His Love should be on our breath. Let us not forget the price He has paid and that He wants ALL to come to repentance!
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