Recently I’ve been dealing with some troubling challenges related to tribalism and denominationalism in the African continent that lead to a lack of unity between brothers who should be working together. Cultural values of utilizing power to produce fear in others, controlling as many as possible, and manipulating worldly influence can quickly dominate. On a large scale, countries get involved with this, such as the conflict between Burundi (where I will be going in a week) and its neighbors. Tribes fight against one another. But also individually we wrestle in this battle. There are pockets of this everywhere in the world, and part of this is embedded in our sin nature. In James 4:1-4 we read,

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? ² You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ⁴ You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

In the church, we hope that believers will demonstrate a very different attitude than quarreling, the conflicting passions and desires, the self-centered and worldly pursuits that characterizes unbelievers. Yet oftentimes these same patterns emerge flowing from strongholds of sin. Church leaders do not get long, they try to leverage their own position to gain an advantage over others, they advance their own agenda with a louder voice and manipulative tactics instead of following Romans 12:10, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Back in James 4, Scripture guides us in a better way,

“Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” 

Oftentimes pride is at the root of this conflict. The antidote is to humbly submit to God, draw near to Him, and confess and renounce the sticky, tarrish sin of proud, worldly self-gratification. It will consume you and also destroy those around you. As this gangrene spreads, it eats up churches, communities, even entire countries and people groups (think of historic genocides).

Are we willing to sacrifice our desires, our preferences, our opinions in favor of unity in the body of Christ? Sometimes this means I swallow hard at things I really don’t like in favor of allowing my brother or sister to have things the way they like. But in this process, God does something in us, conforming us more to the image of Christ, and sanctifying us by the work of the Spirit so those opinions and thoughts become less important to us. There was a time a few decades ago when I loved a good fight, whether theological or value driven, always based in my opinions. Those days are long past, and now I cherish the unity, harmony, and peace that exalt Christ and His glory in a world scrambling for hope amidst “passions at war within them.” May we never compromise on the essentials, but in non-essentials may we embrace our diversity, and may charity reign over all.