The Bride Dismembered:
A Call to Love and to Reunite the Body
This message comes with a bit of a disclaimer. I've been sitting on this for quite a while. Sharing it now isn't related to a particular event or person. It simply continues to resound in my heart and is part of my prayers. I'm here if you need an open conversation rooted in love. I promise to listen.
This is a message for the Body of Christ, those who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior.For a while now, my heart has felt increasingly heavy over the divisions in our nation, how it’s no different in the church, and that the factions sometimes appear even greater in His Body, His Bride.
I see the Bride of Christ dismembered with its pieces strewn about.
Passions run high for Jesus, and for what each believes rightly or wrongly reflects His heart in the things transpiring in our nation. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a time when anger has run as high as it is between those who are brothers and sisters in Christ.
We believe our position is “right” and the other is heinously in error. I’ve witnessed very few humble conversations seeking to understand from a heart positioned in love, and instead, have seen countless stones being viciously thrown from opposite sides.
What testimony is being spoken to the world through our words and behavior? How are we any different than someone who isn’t a follower of Jesus when we act and speak to one another as we do?
We’re more interested in winning arguments and turning people into converts, not of Jesus, but of our beliefs outside of our faith.
God is coming back for a pure and spotless Bride, not one that’s bloodied and torn apart from the battles we seek to win in an effort to be right and push a particular agenda.
We’ve got to do a better job of walking in humility and love, being willing to really listen to one another, and hear one another’s hearts speaking. We must allow the heart truths we hear to dismantle any lies we’ve believed because we’ve only seen part of the picture and written a false narrative we’ve believed to be truth.
It’s likely we’ll still believe differently, but in listening to understand, and valuing and honoring one another, my prayer is that we'll stop cutting off vital parts of the body. An arm or a leg can’t function on its own, and the body suffers greatly when either is severed.
Love is the glue that holds the body together and doesn’t let any part separate itself.
We can be the mature Bride and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
“...Let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)
Do you know God? Love others by allowing His love to be reflected in your words and actions.
Living for Him,
Andrea
Our Mission: Love Others Well & Empower Them to Do the Same
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