A couple of weeks ago, I attended a daylong training for a summer ministry. Over twenty women, ages 18 to 80, gathered to learn, share, and prepare. We do this every year, which is pretty amazing. I love watching the younger staff observing the experienced staff. They soak in the wisdom and practical experience learned from decades of serving God in this ministry.
As a team we have specific goals for our ministry, and we have documented ways of making sure that we reach those goals for each child in our ministry. For example, one goal is to make sure each child hears the gospel message and has the opportunity to respond to it. Therefore, we interweave the gospel message in multiple activities each day – morning devotions, Bible study, campfire messages, and evening devotions. Other goals focus on helping each girl grow as an individual by giving them choices, learning and improving skills, and learning to interact with others.
The training was going well when a new procedure was introduced for one of our activities. The small changes were meant to make life easier on the staff preparing for the activities and to reduce the budget. Reaction to the changes surprised me. A few individuals did not like the change and expressed their thoughts.
The issue was tabled because the people who needed to make the decision were not present that day, and we continued on to the next subject. However, my heart remained on that interaction. Since that day, I have contemplated both sides of the discussion, wondered what would be the correct decision, and agonized over what should be my response.
The question didn’t have a right or wrong answer. Either way would have been fine. I realized in thinking about the situation, that often the right or wrong comes through our responses, our attitudes, even our pride in wanting what we want. Does God care about the decision between red or blue napkins? No. Does He care about how I express my opinion about the color of napkins? Yes.
Humility (or is it grace?) comes when I quietly express my response without judgment, and I accept the answer of those in charge. Either way. I don’t continue to try to persuade. I don’t think up new arguments. I don’t respond with anger. All of those things show my pride. And pride is a sin which must be confessed.
Looking back, I wondered what the younger staff thought of the interaction. I considered how the staff who had worked on the changes, trying to make things better, felt. Will this response make them not want to try again? I wondered if I needed to talk with my friend about her response. I am praying about this. Pray with me.
I Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
I love this explanation of this verse: “The behavior of believers when they encounter unfair circumstances reflects a spirit of deference in all relationships as they follow Christ’s example and anticipate future glory.”* Adding to that, Dr. Constable reminds us of the “resource of God’s grace.”
God’s grace, which we have in abundance, gives us the courage and strength to defer to our brothers and sisters and to give up what we want, giving God glory.
In searching, I read Dr. Constable’s notes on I Peter. I highly recommend this work. https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/html/1peter/1peter.htm
*James R. Slaughter, “The Importance of Literary Argument for Understanding 1 Peter,” Bibliotheca Sacra 152:605 (January-March 1995):80