Choose Kindness

I recently read a notification from a ministry leader who announced shortly after a family came on staff, was found not to be a good fit and were moving on to continue ministry elsewhere.  When I was looking into options to immigrate to Australia, this was something a mission support group warned me about.  There are believers who have good intentions, are called to ministry, go all in with training, raise support and sell everything--only to go to the field and discover things do not go well.  Conflict arises, expectations are dashed, and there can be disillusionment why things have not gone as planned.  As Paul said, being married and bringing a whole family makes any mission work and move more complex and challenging.

When I hear about situations like this, I feel compassion for everyone involved.  An organisation brings a family on board because they have a need, and a couple or family have left their family and culture in the service of God and not fit where they thought they would.  Children left school and friends behind, and many people rallied to support the missionary family through prayer, giving money and helping however they could.  To see things seemingly collapse or fall apart inevitably leaves people scratching their heads and even looking for something or someone to blame.  The temptation to live in regret and shame over things not working out as expected is very real, and if fallout was the result of a sinful scandal it adds another layer of grief for everyone.

It would be a shame to malign anyone in a situation like this, for even Paul and Barnabas had a sharp contention over whether John Mark should accompany them that led to them parting ways for a season.  Their contention should never be an excuse to justify strife, quarrelling and refusing to minister with one another, but it shows genuine apostles who love the LORD and have faithfully served Jesus can experience painful conflicts.  There is no point for me to take one side and condemn the other, to make critical judgments of the situation that I am frankly ignorant of.  It would be foolish to do so with the example provided of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15, for who are we to judge God's servants?  On the subject of personal convictions that differ between believers, Paul wrote in Romans 14:4:  "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."

I urge you brother and sisters, let us be those who seek to be peacemakers because Jesus is our peace.  Let us realise God is so awesome and glorious that in spite of us and the conflicts we create or contribute to, He is working in and through our lives--and the troubling situation--to accomplish good according to His will.  Since God was able to redeem Jesus Christ being crucified though innocent of all crimes, He is also able to redeem contentions and division to edify the church and increase our faith in Him.  How often we have been embittered by a bitter conflict that did not even directly involve us, and this is evidence we have bitterness in our hearts God has used the situation to bring to light.  As it is written in Ephesians 4:31-32:  "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you."  Rather than criticism and finding fault, our aim should be to be kind to one another.