Read Acts 2:43–44, 46–47

Shortly after his conversion in 1929, C.S. Lewis wrote a letter to a friend, and in the letter, he included these words:

“When all is said (and truly said) about divisions of Christendom, there remains, by God’s mercy, an enormous common ground.”

How easy for us in the heat of an argument or within the fray of disagreement to forget that. Those of us who run in our special circles and attend churches of our persuasion at times meet people who have never once attended a church of another denomination. At times, we meet people rigidly certain that they are the chosen guardians of all doctrinal purity. Others claim years of tradition as the reason they’re so committed to their views.

How sad that some Christians live such narrow, restricted lives. I have found that one of the marks of maturity is the ability to disagree without becoming disagreeable—especially when we worship in the Spirit. In fact, that’s the vision for the church according to God’s Word:

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.... They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (Acts 2:43–44, 46–47)

It takes a lot of grace to develop that kind of harmony! The Spirit brings all of us together in Christ. And that’s a good thing since we’ll spend eternity with one another—Methodists with Presbyterians, Baptists with Episcopalians, and fundamentalists with liberal believers, just to keep heaven interesting!

I say it’s time here on planet Earth to relax and let God manage the differences. After all, His grace is wide enough and His mercy deep enough and His love strong enough to cover everything else.

Let’s agree to disagree...but let’s not be disagreeable. Let’s all agree to worship the King!

Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord...Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

The full devotional can be purchased at https://www.tyndale.com/p/good-morning-lord-can-we-talk/9781414380681.