Community and Perspective

Ever notice how finite our opinions are? They change every day. Our favorite bands may change, our morals may change, our political persuasions may change, etc. Gaining knowledge and perspective is what causes these changes.

We are finite rather than all-knowing.

And yet at any given stage we are utterly adamant about our opinions. We get angry at people who don’t like our favorite bands or who have different political inclinations than our own.

Pride causes this.

Ever wonder why God created us with limited perspective?

It is because he loves community. He created us to depend on one another. He made us so that we have to listen to the opinions of our brothers and sisters. He loves community because it reflects his character; he is the the Triune God.

He hates all-knowing gurus who are God’s prophetic messenger on any given issue that comes up.

He has designed us to have blind-spots in our understanding of life.

He has put different people in the same groups who have different backgrounds and thus different feelings and opinions about different issues.

He created us this way on purpose.

Take alcohol, for instance. Who doesn’t have a strong opinion about alcohol in the church? This issue has come up time and time again within Christian communities, often tragically splitting churches, community groups, and relationships.

When a college kid who often pushes the line with alcohol in his “Christian freedom” finds himself in a community group with a girl whose dad abused her in his drunkenness, this is not something that has slipped through God’s hand. He is not in heaven thinking, “Oh man, how did THEY end up in a group together? They will never get along!”

Instead, God in his sovereignty is precise in putting people like that together so that we shape and sanctify each other, exposing our blind spots.

So we need to be gentle and patient with one another and listen to the opinions, experiences, and rebukes of others. When a community group begins functioning this way in peace and joy, the result is a much more healthy and developed understanding of Scripture and how it applies to life.

Galatians 6:1Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you
who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep
watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3For if anyone thinks he is
something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4But let each one
test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself
alone and not in his neighbor. 5For each will have to bear his own
load.

2 Timothy 2:24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind
to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25correcting his
opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance
leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26and they may come to their
senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by
him to do his will.

1 Thessalonians 5:12We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor
among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13and to
esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace
among yourselves. 14And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,
encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do
good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray
without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do
not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good.
22Abstain from every form of evil.

James 3:13Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct
let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have
bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and
be false to the truth. 15This is not the wisdom that comes down from
above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where jealousy and
selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile
practice. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,
gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and
sincere. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those
who make peace.