Hi all!
The passage below is taken out from the book 'purpose driven life' chapter 21.
It's been a while since i posted, pls help to keep the post going, coz it's tiring to maintain it alone.
Anyway, hope that ur spiritual life is not drying up, always stay faithful in God. =)

Farmer.

'It is our job to protect the unity of the church.
In his final moment before being arrested, Jesus prayed passionately for our unity.
It was our unity that was uppermost in his mind during those agonizing hours.
You are commissioned by Jesus Christ to do everything possible to preserve the unity, protect the fellowship and promote the harmony in your church family and among all believers.

We must remember that it was God who chose to give us different personalities, background,
races and preferences, so we should value and enjoy these differences, not merely tolerate them. God wants unity, not uniformity.

Conflict is usually a sign that the focus has shifted to less important issue. But if we concentrate on loving each other and fulfilling God's purposes, harmony results.

Passionately love the church in spite of its imperfections. If a church must be perfect to satisfy you, that same perfection will exclude you from membership, because you are not perfect!

Always choose to encourage rather than criticise. Whenever i judge another believer, 4 things instantly happen; I lose fellowship with God, i expose my own pride and insecurity, I set myself up to be judged by God, and I harm the fellowship of the church.

Refuse to listen to gossip. Listening to gossip is like accepting stolen property, and it makes you just as gulity of the crime.

Support your pastors and leaders. There are no perfect leaders, but God gives leaders the responsibility and the authority to maintain the unity of the church. Pastors often have the unpleasant task of serving as mediator between hurt, conflicting, or immature members. They're also given the impossible task of trying to make everyone happy, which even Jesus could not do!
Honour those leaders who work so hard for you.

What are you doing personally to make your church family more warm and loving?'