Bulletin Articles

What Do You Desire to Produce?

   If we were more like God, we would live more harmoniously with our family, and the strangers around us would become more like family. I regret that I think of people as “becoming family” when Scripture explains that we are family through one blood. Too many have become estranged from their family, yet God is trying to bring us back together. “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (Acts 17:26). I pray that we can be more like God because He is not rushing to condemn humanity; the evidence is in of our existence and a world in turmoil, while God waits and believes we can change the course of our lives with His help. This patience comes from Him creating us and knowing us.

   We must ask ourselves, what do we want out of each relationship and interaction with others? What are we trying to produce? God’s aim from the beginning has been about reconciliation. Scripture says, “that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). God has and is doing everything to save the relationship with his creation. Understand His interactions with us are not to provoke us to damnation. His actions have produced salvation one soul at a time.

   Generally speaking, we no longer listen to each other; we practice comebacks that will verbally cut those to who we are our opponents on any issue. Without being like God, we are ticking time bombs ready to explode. What do you desire to produce from your interactions with others? Some desire to blow up relationships, while others want to maintain them and improve them. God desires the latter.

 “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19). How blessed would we be if we could keep wrath away from our spirit while listening and speaking?  God can withhold His wrath when He sees us doing or saying something that is not pleasing to Him. Why do we have to blow up when another person disagrees with us? Let us be more like God. Let God’s will be done in every interaction as we reveal God’s righteousness in us through Christ Jesus. God is changing people; He wants us to partner with Him in doing the same.

© May 20, 2021, Courtney Henderson 

.