WHEN GOD CAUSES DIVISION IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP (Yep, I said God)…

What? What are you talking about Aldtric? When God causes division in your relationship?

Well check this out…

Matthew 10:34-36 (NKJV)

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’^[a]

Wow! Why would Jesus say this? I thought Jesus was all about peace…harmony…agreement. I have to admit that years ago I used to let this scripture trouble me.

Let’s read one more verse that brings it all home…

Matthew 10:37 (NKJV)

³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

God demands that we love Him first and that we always put Him first, even when it comes to family. He knows how much we love our parents. He knows how much we love our spouses. He knows how much we love our children…especially our children.

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God wants to make sure that we don’t allow our love for those closest to us to become worship…the idolatry of putting them first.

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He knows that sometimes the love we have for those closest to us will cause a spiritual conflict and dilemma.

God knows sometimes we will have disagreements in our homes over spiritual things. Because of the verses above, I believe that sometimes God Himself presents these situations.

It could be over where to go to church, when to go to church, how much to give, what changes we will make in our household.

We all know that even when both people in the relationship are believers, they aren’t always on the same page. Couples don’t always mature spiritually in harmony. They don’t always  receive and respond to the word the same.

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Have you ever had a disagreement in your family over something spiritual?

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Sometimes, God will present to you an opportunity to choose between you and your loved one. He will give you the opportunity to assert to those closest to you that you will put Him first, and will not compromise…even then it comes to them. And, when you choose Him and His will, you then have to trust God to bring peace.

There are also some situations where there may be a married couple who does not believe in God. One of the two may come to believe before the other…here God did not bring peace, but division, just as the scripture said. This most likely happened very often in the early days of the church, and perfect provision was made for this situation in 1 Corinthians Chapter 7.

You may have a child who wants to participate in an activity that will prevent them from attending worship service. If do what we are supposed to do as parents and assert that nothing comes before worship, it will cause division.

How about this one, your child wants to listen to music that is inappropriate…this can cause division.

Sometimes the person who’s closest to you may want you to go somewhere, do something, read something or watch something that you feel may be displeasing to God… this will cause division.

But, when this takes place, God is still working it out for the good of everyone involved. When you find yourself being put in the position to put God’s desires before you loved one’s desires…

 

1. Stand your ground based on the bible and not how you feel.
2. Go and pray that God soften your loved one’s heart to submit to His will.
3. This is a big one! Regularly pray for His spirit of agreement in your relationship, just as He is one with our Lord and Savior, Yeshua Christ Jesus. (Read John 17:20-23)
4. Trust God to THEN bring peace into your relationship.

 

One more thing…

The next time you are frustrated with God, or feel He is being unfair to you. Be careful that you DO NOT share how you feel with your loved one. You don’t want their love your you to cause them to be upset with go too. Trust God! He will eventually resolve the situation that’s troubling you, and when He does, you don’t want to have been a stumbling block their relationship with Him.

Whether it’s a marriage, parent child relationship, close friends or whatever…

When God causes division in your relationship, it isn’t to tear you apart, it’s to bring both of you closer to Him.

BE BLESSTIFIED!