Celebrating differences

One of the things that I have noticed as a speaker and communicator is that when I speak, I mean I have prepared the teaching, I have a clear purpose in mind, I prepare the teaching, pray, and then deliver it. What's wild is that after I have given the teaching, different people will approach me to talk to me about what I have said - and each person seems to have filtered it in a different way.

That's a challenge for any pastor. On any given Sunday morning he is speaking to new Christians, mature Christians, immature Christians, young people, old people, married couples, singles, people who deeply desire to be there and those who, well, let's just say that it's not high on their priority list.

Each one of us filters what we hear in different ways.

It's a fact of life that obvious but worth remembering, and I constantly need to be reminded of it as I work with people in ministry.

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT.

Sometimes we think that if "everyone were like me," the world would be a better place. If everyone would just think like me, and have the same thoughts as me, or believe the same things I do, this planet would be a much better place to live on.

However, here's what I know and I continue to learn. You and I cannot get along with people if we secretly harbor the belief that everyone ought to be more like us.

We must accept that people are different, and that they are to be celebrated in their differences from us - not tolerated.

I would suggest that when Jesus or Paul spoke about unity in the Word, they were not speaking of uniformity where everyone looks alike or talks alike or thinks alike but of but unity.

Super Bowl Sunday is coming up and I can guarantee you that the team that will win the game is the team that plays together as a unit - willing to sacrifice for the benefit of the team.

Not everyone can be the quarterback or the running back. In diversity there is power! Diversity unified by one common goal - to build God's kingdom.

Just a thought