Disorderly Conduct

“And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete…But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” 1 John 1:3b-4, 7.

With all of the social media we have at our fingertips there is a precious blessing that is in danger of extinction…fellowship.  I heard one of the greatest truths this morning in my Bible Study regarding social media.  Kelly Minter, author of What Love Is stated:  “There is nothing social about social media.”  She is so correct as I pondered the concept.  Social media happens apart from people…it happens in isolation…it happens on couches and in cars…it is about as unsocial as you can get.  For some who engage in social media it is a replacement for fellowship instead of an enhancement. 

John writes of the most of the most beautiful benefits of being a believer in Christ.  He states that complete joy is when we have both vertical fellowship with God and horizontal fellowship with each other.  When either of these are interrupted for whatever reason our joy is interrupted.  God has anchored His commands on two principles of love.   Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37, 39.  We cannot follow these commands apart from fellowship.  We only have to look as far as our relationships to understand this concept.  When fellowship is fractured joy is interrupted.  The only way for both fellowship and joy to be restored is to submit those relationship to the God of peace.  One of the most beautiful verses for me is one of the shortest.  ‘For God is not a God of disorder but of peace’ 1 Co 14:33.  Satan will always attempt to frustrate our joy by frustrating our fellowship with God and others.  Complete joy is when fellowship is found, shared or restored.  All things begin with our fellowship with the Father and His son, and is shared with all believers if we submit our relationships to God. 

If you find yourself this morning with interrupted fellowship with another believer you should reach out to Godly counsel.  Submitting the confusion and disorder to God gives Him the license to put all things in order apart from our own emotions and perceptions.  He will be faithful to us if we are faithful to Him in bringing peace back into the places where Satan threw them into confusion.