Jesus > All

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 NIV

Note to self,

Following Jesus is more important than anything else in this life. Though my political leanings reflect my moral beliefs, my moral beliefs should never be shaped by political leanings! Instead, they should reflect the true morality of God that is found in the Bible.

This means that when we as believers disagree, we ought to seek the truth that is found in the scriptures; being like the Bereans, we will test the scriptures to see if these things are true. My goal in conversation about morals is not to win, but to seek what is true! I tend to be competitive, so this may be difficult if someone gets me riled up, but I need to remember that it's not me vs. the other person, but us seeking the truth together (this is a great principle in marriage as well...)

At this point it may be obvious where I'm going. With a nation divided right now about which political candidate to follow, we do need to remember to be united under Christ, but this principle does not just apply to election season, but all the time. I cannot follow my pastor's lead blindly without seeking the truth in scriptures for myself.

I noticed in verse 10, Paul says to be completely united in mind and thought and I almost want to laugh. Come on, Paul. Obviously, we can't all agree on everything. It's true that we will have areas of disagreement, but that does not mean we need to be divided. They are not the same. For example, I can be united with a friend in our goal to glorify God in every area of our lives, but I may think that means I need to be a stay-at-home mom and homeschool my kids, whereas she thinks she needs to work a corporate job and use the money she makes to sponsor 7 children overseas. Obviously both approaches are good, but they are not the same.

Alternatively, there may be times that a friend and I disagree on something, and the two sides are mutually exclusive. In such cases, it is not my side vs. hers, but instead we both (when possible) must have humility and look for the answer that is true and right. Though we may not find the answer this side of heaven, the unity we have in searching for the true answer will bring us closer to each other and Christ instead of driving us apart. If the other party is not cooperative, I still need to humble myself and not get defensive over my belief, because I do not have perfect theology!

 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 1:20 NIV

I must never become wise in my own eyes, because that is true foolishness. Jesus is the "power of God and the wisdom of God" (verse 24). The passage then goes on and says,

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength... God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

1 Corinthians 1:25; 27-29 NIV

When I begin to think I know it all is when I'm at my most foolish. God knows that we tend towards pride and self-righteousness, and I consider it a blessing that I am weak and (regularly) humbled by that reality. Right when I think I know it all and I can handle all that's thrown at me, I am humbled once again by my own limitations. It is not wrong for me to have confidence and convictions, but it is wrong for me to put my hope in those convictions instead of the one who gave me the confidence in the first place.

Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1:31 NIV