Feeling Frustrated? ... Join the Club!

I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is the highest privilege that I know.  To know that I have a relationship with the creator of the universe is awesome! My sins are forgiven, I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me, I am a member of Christ's church (His living body on earth), and yet I am frustrated.  Why? That's the million dollar question.  

I am frustrated with what I have seen for so many years of my short lived life on earth.  I am frustrated about all of the division within Christianity.  I am tired of hearing 10 different ways of how to "get saved", a 100 different ways of how to worship God, a variety of books out there professing to be the word of God, and so many radically different messages coming from the pulpits on any given Sunday.  Pastors, Bishops, Preachers, and teachers all proclaim to speak the truth of God's word, and yet there are too many interpretations that lead to too many different practices. Why? Something is wrong with this picture, folks!

Consider these passages of Scripture and meditate:

• Psalm 133:1 ~ "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"
• John 17:22-23 ~ "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
• Acts 2:44 ~ "All the believers were together and had everything in common."
• Acts 4:32 ~ "All the believers were one in heart and mind."
• Romans 15:5 ~ "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus ..." 
• 1 Corinthians 1:10 ~ "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought."
• Ephesians 4:3 ~ "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

These passages of Scripture (both Old & New Testaments) affirm the will of God for His people to live in unity with each other.  But today we see a vastly different picture.  There are so many different denominations, and so many different opinions and interpretations about how to serve, honor, worship and obey the one true God.  

How can we all profess to worship the same God, and yet have so many vastly different interpretations of how to honor this God? Sometimes it is as simple as this: man wants to do things his way rather than God's way.  In taking that position, man finds himself ignoring God's word and thus creating new philosophies/ideologies that lead others away from the original paths of truth and unity.  

May God help each one of us seriously begin a journey of intensely reading, meditating, and obeying the word of God in our lives, and then encouraging others to do the same thing that we may return to the paths of truth and unity.  As the Scripture says, "There is one body and one Spirit —just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." ~ Ephesians 4:4-6   

GOD WANTS YOU!!