Growing from Diversity (Mug-spiration Monday)

Have you ever thought about all the different drinks you can get at the coffee shop? You can get an espresso, an Americano, a latte, macchiato, frappe, iced coffee, drip coffee, or even coffee-free options. People of all kinds flock to a coffee shop, but request very different things.

The body of Christ is a lot like that. We all belong to the same God, yet we have very different circumstances and backgrounds. I struggle with anxiety, OCD, and doubt. Other Christians may never experience those struggles, but they struggle with anger, pride, porn addiction, etc. We have very different issues, and yet we all meet at the same place- at the foot of the cross.

Growing From Our Differences

I'm a firm believer in believing real truth. There are false teachers out in the world that declare that things are acceptable that are against the Bible. I am not suggesting we all just co-exist with no absolute truth, accepting false beliefs. Some things are truly not ok, and we cannot pretend otherwise.

However, when we are talking about struggles, prayer requests, and personality differences, there are a plethora of different needs and different types of people in the body of Christ, and that is an amazing thing.

It's easy to feel safe in a group of people who have the same struggles as we do, and who are very similar to us. But when someone struggles with something totally different, or has a slightly different perspective on an issue, we can easily get scared (usually subconsciously), because it challenges us to look deeply into our lives and evaluate ourselves. Self-evaluation, at it's best, is a very healthy thing. If I meet someone who struggles with pride, it might force me to look and see if I've been living a prideful life. I may be scared of the answer, but it's always better to find out and correct any issues.

Challenge of the Week

My point in all of this is that we can grow from each other's differences. So this week, be aware of the diversity in your Christian circle. How can you learn from those who are different from you, and how can you help them? Don't be afraid of things, beliefs, or people who challenge you. Instead, hold the Word of God up to it, seek truth about it, and grow from it.