Written by Pastor Mark Driskill
October 20, 2011
Read Ephesians 4:4-6
Are you becoming fragmented in your faith? It’s understandable when you consider all the forces in our lives that constantly seek to pull us apart. We wake up in the morning stumble around for that first cup of coffee and before taking the first sip we feel the forces of this world latching onto us like Pit Bulls fighting over raw meat. We barely get our eyes open before becoming aware of a million different things that need to be attended to throughout the day. Then we fight our way through a war zone of news sources from the radio, television and internet.
With all the crises, real and imagined, of the world pumping through our minds we race off to work or school where the assault on our peace of mind intensifies with the multiplication of expectations coming from, co-workers, clients, and advertisers all seeking a piece of us. Throughout the day we are tugged and pulled in multiple directions and forced to make multiple choices, multiple times while we try to take care of multiple responsibilities and solve multiple unexpected crises. While multiple groups beg us to give to their multiple causes. With all this multiplication coming after us it is easy to feel completely fragmented at times.
The real danger comes when we allow our faith to be fragmented as well. Faith is the one thing that often holds us together in this crazy ride we call life, but when we allow our faith to be chopped up and compartmentalized we lose our ground spiritually. We become unfocused and confused and easily lose our perspective on life. But this is not how God has called us to live. We were not created to live in pieces, but in peace. This is one thing that makes the gospel of Jesus such great news. In a world that threatens to pull you apart, Jesus comes to pull you back together to be the whole person you were called to be, rather than a collection of broken pieces.
Paul reminds us that we are called to live a life of one-ness. “There is one body and one Spirit… one hope… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” As a follower of Jesus you belong to the one true God, not a pantheon of demanding deities, each having its own agenda; you are part of one church, made of many glorious parts and streams in the river of life. There is one Holy Spirit, not a Baptist one, a Pentecostal one, and a Catholic one. There is one Holy Spirit indwelling all believers.
Our God is in all and through all and above all. Regardless of the forces that beckon you to live in sections, being one person at home, another at church, and another at work, our God has given you the healing power of one. In Him you have the power to pull yourself together by faith and trust God with every challenge you face. Colossians 1:17 says of Jesus, “He is before all things and in him all things hold together.” Why not let him pull you together today? Whatever comes against you today, keep your eyes on your one Lord. Ask him for power to be the whole person you were created to be. Be blessed today.
Pastor Mark Driskill
Web Minister of Begotten By the Word web ministry
See our website at http://ourchurch.com/member/b/bbtw
and
www.facebook.com (to group “begotten by the word”)
Begotten By the Word is a ministry of Helping Hands Christian resources-Evangelism Outreach
www.hhcr05.org
(Feel free to copy in any way that will bring glory to God and further his kingdom.)
