The Greater Good

1 Corinthians 6:1-8 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud-even your own brothers!

Now you may read today's Scripture selection and assume it does not apply to you since you have never taken anyone to court or been taken to court but I want to focus on the latter part of the verses because I believe there is a principle that applies to all of us, as difficult as it may be to swallow.

"Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?"

Does this even occur to us when we are in the midst of a conflict? Doesn't the conflict exist because we think differently than another and we believe we are right and they are wrong? Our inward thoughts and outward discussions about the conflict typically try to get them to see their error. In the flesh, there is a self-protection mode that endeavors to guard us from hurt, pain and suffering so the idea to choose to suffer wrong or be defrauded is somewhat foreign to us.

What is the bottom line? Isn't self-protection a form a self-love? What is more important to us; our reputation or Christ's reputation? Who do we love more: ourselves or the person with whom we are in conflict? What is our greater desire: being right or the unity of the body of believers?

Perhaps as you meditate on these truths, you will be as challenged as I have been.

Oh, Father, that we would get outside ourselves to love and serve You and others unabashedly.

Diane