Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. Acts 15:36-40
Heavenly Father, once again I start my day thankful for what you didn’t edit out from the Scriptures. The Bible is so authentic, honest, real and daily… mere men couldn’t have written it without your hand and heart guiding them.
In particular, I’m thankful today for this story of two good friends, Paul and Barnabas, having “such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.” Lord, I’ve been in that story, and right now I’m watching that story play out between two friends I deeply love. It’s sticky, yucky, messy and I hate being caught in the middle.
So I look to you right now, Father, for the resources of the gospel… I need wisdom from above, power in my weakness, and grace for my heart two love two stubborn hurting people.
My default mode is to disappear-hoping broken things will just blow over, chill out, or go away… but that’s no gonna happen.
The good news, Jesus, is, that you’ve shown up to destroy hostilities. You reconcile enemies to God, and so I can fully trust you to be at work in this tense, terse, tempestuous situation between two friends. It took time plus grace for Paul and Barnabas to get back together. I don’t know what time plus grace will look like for my friends, but show me my role in the story you are writing.
How do I confront in love? How do I pray in the Spirit? How do I weep in the hurt? How do I listen to both sides without taking sides? How do I stay present in the chaos without giving into the pulls? What of my own sin will you show me as I seek to stay engaged?
Lord Jesus, no one is better at sticky-situation loving than you, so I abandon myself to you… with my fears, my confusion and my very real hope of your showing up. So very Amen, I pray, in your powerful and precious name.