We read in 1 Corinthians 14:33: ‘For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…’
A certain man received a supernatural spiritual gift and, under the influence of the spirit he had acquired, decided to organize his own church. He declared that it would have no rules, that people would receive absolute freedom and authority to act however they wished, and that their god would become their teacher, giving revelations to the congregation through its leader. This movement began to grow and, after some time, became quite large. Yet eventually, rules and standards of conduct still had to be introduced. When the pastor was asked why he had changed his mind, he replied that without organization and order everything falls apart, anarchy sets in, and people who have no law over them are forced to invent rules for themselves.
We live in a highly organized society in which every unit—from the state down to the family—is governed by its own rules, statutes, and laws. And all people in our world are subject to God’s principles of coexistence.
But every country has its own national characteristics of behavior and mentality, which may surprise us or even frighten us by their uniqueness.
Every gathering of people implies an order of conduct, a daily schedule, and rules governing relationships. If these are absent, people begin searching for boundaries, and those boundaries may differ from person to person.
God’s people, led by the Holy Spirit, receive instruction from above concerning how they should act, what they should obey, and whom they should listen to. All biblical laws become effective in the lives of those who permit God to write them upon their hearts. The presence of these statutes within my mind creates a particular manner of conduct, while taking into account the choice of my will and the direction of my desires.
But my desires remain my own, and my behavior and attitude toward others reveal who I am. My appearance, physical build, voice, manner of communicating, and behavior in a given situation—all this characterizes me as a person with a particular way of thinking, and throughout it all I remain myself.
Meeting and communicating with other people helps me understand what I am truly like, what motivates me, and what gifts and talents I possess.
But the most interesting part begins when people of different ages, views, and opinions gather together in order to know one another more closely. If such a community is united by Jesus, His law, and God’s love, people gain the great advantage of being able very quickly to unite as one Heavenly family and love one another according to the commandment, without scrutinizing peculiarities of character. Love covers all things and makes such meetings richly blessed. All the lessons of agape that have been accepted into the heart and written upon the mind by God’s hand come alive and become an effective power that moves the will with the desire to make another person’s life better, more joyful, and happier.
The beginning of such gatherings looks very good and blessed. When meetings like these are held for the first time, every participant has certain expectations and plans for the event. The more people gather together, the more opinions and expectations there are. Although we are all united in the spirit of love, each of us is unique in our own way.
If no common order and daily schedule have been established for all participants, then whether I want it or not, a conflict of interests and expectations arises, immediately revealing the strong and weak aspects of my character.
The disciples of Christ, however, are distinguished by their willingness to show obedience and submit to one another in a spirit of love and respect.
God is a God of order in every gathering. When this order is absent, people develop a sense of anxiety and uncertainty. Each person feels like a ship without sails, not knowing where to go next. This anxiety immediately begins to express itself through the more proactive people, who state their position firmly and ask that measures be taken to establish rules of conduct and a daily schedule. Sometimes the original plans for the meeting collapse when they encounter reality and are then modified according to the desires and opinions of the majority. But love covers all things and makes every change of plan joyful and good.
Any rules may be abused or may even violate a person’s will if they are approached with a demanding spirit and an insistence upon unquestioning compliance.
I remember my military service, when those assigned to company duty had to clean the barracks and then turn over the duty station with the room in a state of cleanliness and order. You never knew who would evaluate your work or how. Some accepted all your efforts without even looking at what you had done, while others ‘went around with a magnifying glass,’ finding dirt where no one else could see it. The following also happened: some officer would arrive and force us to clean a place that was already clean, desiring thereby to demonstrate his authority and importance.
A spirit of faultfinding and dissatisfaction is not welcome in any community. It provokes a response that will not be slow to appear and return to the demanding person in the same spirit. This leads to hostility or resentment and destroys relationships.
The School of Agape Love differs from the world in that it seeks a loving solution to every misunderstanding, trying to understand the problem and resolve it quickly. No other spirit is welcome in a community of friends who love one another, because any other spirit destroys peace and mutual trust.
When I begin covering my ambitions with biblical quotations about order and law, it resembles Adam and his wife covering their nakedness with leaves and thinking they were clothed. Only God’s love and the righteousness of Christ can truly present my sincerity and demands to a friend in the right spirit.
The rebellion in Heaven began at the moment when the anointed cherub decided to improve God’s order and began introducing his own proposals into the Heavenly family ‘for the common good.’ Surprisingly, this spirit infected many innocent and trusting angels, who took Satan’s side and supported him.
When my friend is living peacefully with me, but I consider him lazy or a violator of order, then introducing this version of my truth into his happiness is not the science of love. It is an entirely different spirit, one that can very quickly destroy relationships and infect trusting souls with dissatisfaction.
In love and friendship, we are all vulnerable, and many hearts have not yet become established in agape or learned how to receive unexpected blows and remain unharmed.
For me, unwashed dishes accompanied by love are better than sparkling cleanliness accompanied by indignation and faultfinding.
Friendly relationships are built over years and are very delicate. They must be carefully protected from every kind of damage, because a broken vase is difficult to glue together and restore to its original appearance. But love can repair even this.
God is a God of order in love and peace, even toward those who have not yet learned this order. To Him, our friendly interaction is more important than many of the outward things surrounding us. We should not cover our ambitions with God’s name, making Him an accomplice in our actions performed in an unkind spirit. God is love, and He desires that I become this same love, united with Him in one spirit.
It is also worth noting that even if one of us has made a mistake in his demands, at that very moment he needs our love most of all, not our condemnation.
Bible Verses for Reflection
1 Corinthians 14:33; Proverbs 13:23; 29:18; Judges 21:25; Numbers 10:28; Isaiah 28:24–29; Luke 1:1–4; Acts 19:32; 2 Corinthians 12:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:1–3; Romans 12:9–11; James 1:5–8, 16–21; 3:10–18; 4:17; Acts 4:32; 1 Corinthians 13:7; Proverbs 3:28; 4:1; Psalm 50:19–21; 1 Peter 5:5–7.