A Whole Lot of Disagreement Going On
“Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:10)
“Pleasing the Lord” may sound easy, but it is not! There are approximately 4,200 different religions around this world of ours. There are as many as 40,000 different Christian denominations worldwide. According to a National Catholic Register article, there are 9000 Protestant denominations, 22,000 Independent denominations, 1,600 marginal denominations, 781 Orthodox denominations, 242 Catholic denominations, and 168 Anglican denominations. Uff da!
Each one of these different religions and denominations believes they are doing “what is pleasing to the Lord.” Then, within every denomination, you have tens of thousands of places of worship that think they are doing “what is pleasing to the Lord” in their unique circumstance. Even further, within every one of those places of worship, each follower believes they are living the faith in a way that “is pleasing to the Lord.” No human being agrees in every way with every other human being, especially in religion.
With all this diversity, disagreement, or even animosity, why should we even try doing “what is pleasing to the Lord.” When pleasing God is done in so many ways, how can we ever know whether our way is “pleasing to the Lord?”
My answer is twofold: first, I believe God is less concerned with correct doctrine and perfection than with honest attempts and intentional commitment to trying the best we know how to live the faith and honor God. Second, and even more importantly, God is a God of mercy. No matter our mistakes and miscues, God forgives and restores us. We offer our lives and place our very souls in the hands of a merciful God. Right isn’t nearly as important as trust. Trust our grace-filled and merciful God!
Today, think about the twists and turns your faith has made. How has your faith developed and matured throughout the years? Think about how your faith would be different if you had been born in Africa, Japan, or Yemen rather than in the home and family that raised you. Then, pray that the Divine One will continue to be a God of grace and mercy. Finally, ask God to give you the grace and mercy to look at other faiths and denominations with similar grace, compassion, and respect. If we all had God’s divine attitude of grace, mercy, and respect, our world would be a much better place.
This devotion was originally published in September of 2017