Winsome Conversations in Divisive TimesSample

Value Our Differences

Differences are an inherent part of any group of Christ followers. These differences serve a positive purpose and should be valued and respected. As a pastor, I was always struck by how much of what actually got done within our church was done by members who thought that their particular ministry was the most important thing in the world. 

For example, we had a wonderful recovery ministry. It was led by a couple who were zealously committed to working the twelve steps because it literally transformed their Christian walk. They wanted others to join a recovery group. In fact, they wanted everyone to join a recovery group because we are all addicted to sin. I had similar ministry advocates for every effective ministry in the church. These ministry advocates were incredibly diverse in their passions and convictions. The only thing they shared in common was the belief that their ministry was the most important in the world. 

Their passionate commitment to their ministry sometimes led to conflicts over resources. Sometimes, we had hurt feelings. I often wished that I could have avoided these conflicts altogether. But on the other hand, these people tended to have ministries that thrived. The ministries that didn’t thrive usually had leaders who lacked this sort of zealous conviction.

Ultimately, I realized differing convictions were a blessing. If a church was a computer program, these passionate differences were actually an intended feature, not a bug. I became a fan of different convictions, zealously expressed and passionately pursued. It got things done. Everybody was passionately building on the foundation that Christ had laid, and as long as we didn’t burn each other’s buildings down, we could make a thriving community. If each ministry leader respected the overall church leadership and was willing to accept the fact that everyone else wasn’t quite as excited as they were, things worked great.