I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1–3 WEB.

By the look on his face, I could see that we were making a lasting impression on the visiting evangelist. Some of the praise and worship team at the front of the church were now arguing loudly with the sound crew who were at the back of the church, while the evangelist sat on the front row between them and looked at the spectacle in puzzled amazement. It was another heated discussion about the monitor mix. As I slowly sank lower behind my keyboard, the Holy Spirit quietly left the building.

What followed was one of the driest church services I have ever sat through. I felt sorry for the speaker as he labored to bring his message later. The praise team should have ushered in the Spirit of God and set the atmosphere, but we were too busy fighting amongst ourselves to notice that He had left. Our attitude mattered more to Him than the chords we played, more than the words we sang.

God does not like it when His children argue, and He wants us to live in unity and peace with one another (Psalm 133:1). Paul wrote: "Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" (1 Corinthians 6:7) and "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 4:30). We certainly grieved Him that day. When someone else is having a bad day, it does not give us the freedom to mirror them, and it always takes two or more to argue.

It is easy to get offended in church and nurse those hurts like a dear old friend. Eventually, everything that person does or says becomes negative to you, and it begins to poison your spiritual life. Even a simple word from them can cause an explosion as the volcano of bitterness inside you erupts.

Strive to maintain peace. Blessed are the peacemakers. Learn to bite your tongue and keep your livid thoughts to yourself. Don't be so important in your own eyes that you can't overlook another's weakness. Don't let a small thing become a big thing. It's not about Me, Myself, and I, but about us. We all make up the body of Christ. Can't we just get along?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me shake off the hurts, rejections, and offenses I encounter. Deliver me from the negativity and cleanse me from any bitterness in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” James 5:13 ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.