A house divided will not stand
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” Matthew 12:25
A house divided will not stand. A marriage divided will not stand. A business divided will not stand. A team divided will not stand. A nation divided will not stand. A church divided will not stand.
There is blatant, obvious division in every area of society today. In government and politics, our nation is split down the middle. Every four years, we hear the call for unity and healing, “reaching across the aisle,” but it never comes to fruition. Pick the issue, and our nation is divided with both sides vehemently spewing negativity toward the other. Husband and wife are divided, giving children a picture of division early in life. Marriage is hard, divorce is extremely acceptable and easy. Churches are not immune, as they become divided and split over trivial issues. Take any group of people, two or more, and the number one risk to failure is division. Division creates hate, selfishness, gossip, lies, and many other issues.
We all know this to be true. We all recognize the division that is rampant in society. And, we all are guilty of fostering it. Social media gives us a green light to create division.
Lack of truth drives much of the separation. Pick any division in society, political parties, churches, marriages, or businesses, and there are two versions of the truth. Sometimes truth is hidden. As a culture, we lack transparency. Sometimes facts are sensationalized, as numbers and stories are over-stated to guide the division. Our homes have become a classroom for teaching division to our children, as our dinner tables are full of gossip, spreading the separation of society.
The answer. Humble service. One can’t serve another without being filled with humility. Jesus knew division was a certainty, so one of the last things he told his disciples was to live a life of service.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:12-17
Humbly serve others. Put other people first. Think less of yourselves and more of others. Government and political parties have it in their power to create unity if both sides humbly served each other and people. Marriages remain strong if husband and wife humbly serve the other. Businesses, churches, teams, friends, you name it, and unity can be created by humbly serving others. We have the power to fight division if we humbly serve.
Recognize that we all breed division, as it starts with selfishness, an innate behavior. Humility fights selfishness, and one is humbled by recognizing grace. When one realizes the grace given to them by God, one is humbled and service is naturally birthed.
It seems the best place to start the fight against division is in our own homes. Rather than filling the halls with the latest division of the day, humbly serve each other.
Impact others. Live generously.
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