Lenten Bible Reading: Week 3, Wednesday

During the season of Lent, I am attempting to follow a Bible reading plan and offer reflection on the Scripture text.  Today's reading is from Wednesday in the third week of Lent.  I welcome feedback.  What are these Scriptures saying to you?

Philippians 4:1-9 Common English Bible

Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord.
   Loved ones, I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to come to an agreement in the Lord.  Yes, and I’m also asking you, loyal friend, to help these women who have struggled together with me in the ministry of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the scroll of life.
   Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad!  Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near.  Don’t be anxious about anything; rather bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.  Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.
  From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise.  Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.
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After the day I had, that's a tough scripture to read!  I got into a disagreement with someone and then I read about Paul urging two women to come to an agreement in the Lord!  But I don't believe in coincidences, so I know God had this in store for me because I really needed it!

Sometimes disagreements are "natural."  There's a genuine difference in perspectives that precludes agreement.  Put a Democrat and a Republican together in the same room, and tell them to talk politics.  There's gonna be disagreement!!

But other times, the disagreements are "unnatural" because they're based on misunderstandings, failures of communication, or simple stubbornness and determination not to "give" to the other.

In either case, I think Paul is telling us here that we need to get over the differences - no matter what they are - and get to what's held in common.  And I'll be honest, that's not very easy!  The disagreement that I had is pretty hard to find commonality.  I'm frustrated, angry, and disappointed.  And I can't even really do or say anything about it directly.  That fact frustrates me even more!

So what does Paul say to do with these feelings and experiences?  Give them over to God.  "Be glad in the Lord always. Again, I say, be glad."  The New International Version says "Rejoice in the Lord, always.  Again, I say, rejoice."  Being glad, rejoicing??  When I'm so steamed that I could cook broccoli?  Yes.

I can't do that!!  I can't just "be happy" like switching on the light.  So ... I have to rely on the God of peace to take my anger and use it productively.  For example, in preparing this devotional.  I have to recognize my emotion, but also not let the emotion overwhelm me.  God can use me in this situation.  And God can still use the other person, too.

By giving it to God, I can let go of the emotion and return to the center of living in Christ.  And the situation then becomes one that I can reason with.  Paul even gives me hints on what questions to ask:  is it true? holy? just? admirable?  Then think on these things.  If it isn't true, holy, just or admirable, then let it go and find what is.

Bring it to God - all the hurt, anger, and frustration.  God can handle it.  In that way, I can still be gentle in how I respond.  And so, I'm going to respond to this disagreement with gentleness and rejoicing.  I'm going to take a step in faith that God will work this situation out in some form or fashion that I can rejoice, even when right now I don't feel like I can.  That's the amazing thing about God: where we fail, God prevails.