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  Paul and Barnabas “had such a sharp disagreement (about taking Mark on the next missionary journey) that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left” (Acts 15:39-40).

 

Lord Jesus, we are grateful for the stories of brokenness and messiness included in the Scriptures. The Bible is unabashedly honest about the “messes” we get in, and the “mess” that we remain till heaven. Paul—“the apostle of grace,” and Barnabas—“the son of encouragement,” had “such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.” They viewed Mark’s readiness for the next missionary journey so differently—their friendship was strained and their fellowship was broken.

Lord, we all of have been (are in) relationships that bring hurt, disconnect, and distance. The issues vary—everything from petty disagreements, to meltdown moments, to traumatic events. We need wisdom from above, grace in our midst, and your Spirit’s work in our hearts. Jesus, you came to give us life, tear down walls, and reconcile opposites. The devil came to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). Surely, we can/must trust you to be at work in our tense, terse, torn relationships.

It took “time + grace” for Paul and Barnabas to get back together. The same is true in some of our stories—some of which will only be healed in heaven. Free us to wait in faith without drifting into hardness. Help us confront what must be confronted, not accept what is unacceptable, never stop hoping, and rely more fully on “the God who raises the dead” (2 Cor. 1:9). Our eye-log is a bigger issue than anybody else’s eye-speck (Matt. 7:5). We need grace for that one, Jesus. So Very Amen.

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