An Oar to the Head
I am giving a short series of exhortations related to being likeminded. In Philippians 2:2 bibrefphilippians2 bibrefphilippians2v2 Paul urges the believers to think the same way, to be thinking on one purpose.
Likemindedness isn’t blind. Likemindedness can distinguish friends from enemies, and can distinguish friends who are doing great and friends who aren’t. There is a difference between someone shooting a cannon trying to sink our boat from another boat, and someone on our boat not rowing their oar as fast as we want them to. We share the same purpose with the guy a couple seats up, even when we’re tempted to smack in the head with our oar.
Likemindedness and maturity should be in balance. Likemindedness is both a sign of maturity and a strategy for getting more mature. As a believer in the body matures, he will be able:
- to see more of what’s wrong
- to see more of what could be wrong that isn’t, and be thankful
- to speak clearly to the person(s) that can actually do something about what’s wrong, and not just spread grumbling
- to do the first three FOR everyone’s increase in blessing, and not just for the fleeting cathartic feeling of scapegoating
Other examples: teenagers with their parents, employees with their boss, citizens with their government when it’s pursuing righteousness.
In our recent study through the temptations of Jesus, remember that Satan tried to divide Persons of the Trinity. He didn’t succeed, but the church is another target. Of course he knows that if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand (Mark 3:25 bibrefmark3 bibrefmark3v25).