As we continue to bridge the gaps between God and people and among people, we find ourselves experiencing various forms of discomfort. While many long for the discomfort of maxing out our seating capacity, the experiences we will have before we get to that point may cause friction among the people who come into our fellowship and those who are already here.
Friction will come from personal differences. Some will come into the church with the baggage of damaged relationships, past church experiences, and unforgiven or unforgotten sin. Some will come into the fellowship with strong personalities and preferences.
Friction will come from different ?measures ? of faith. Some will come with brand-new faith. Others have been Christians for much of their lives ?and the levels of maturity will vary among them as well. With this will come different understandings of the Bible and varied practices of worship and service.
When this friction occurs, or better still, before then, we must remember Paul ?s words in Ephesians 4:2-7: ?Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit ?just as you were called to one hope when you were called ?one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ?
Here are a few ideas of how to bridge the gap patiently. Be direct; if you ?re upset with someone, talk to them directly. Be flexible; Christ ?s death has given us a lot more freedom than we sometimes give others credit. Be quiet; listen to others, even if they obviously don ?t have the right answers. Be encouraging; help other Christians grow in their faith. Be transparent; your faith story, your ups and downs, may be the directions someone else needs to cross the bridge.