Matthew 5:36

And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

I remember a time when all police cars were blank and white. That meant something back then. Times change and now they are either all black or all white with signs on their doors to indicate who they represent, county, city, or state. Come to think of it, federal vehicles are unmarked.

Black and white used to stand for something. But I digress.

Some of us see everything in black and white. We do not color between the lines. Color doesn’t enter into it. Right is right and wrong is wrong. We want to be on the right side of everything and that can be a problem. It makes us critical, judgmental, and defensive. Those traits are not conducive to good fellowship.

While we are supposed to be like minded, we do not all see things the same way. That is neither right nor wrong, it is just us being human. Love does not put itself first and that is difficult when you have to be right all the time.

Perhaps that is why James warned us that the tongue is hard to control.

Wisdom helps but proverbs can be a mysterious teacher. More often we gain wisdom by making mistakes. Every mistake says don’t do that again. Then we do it again. Something stronger than wisdom is needed to help keep us on the right path.

Job 36:3

I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

Job only got it right after all his ordeals.

As my daughter once said, “Dad I need to make my own mistakes.”

Seeing in black and white does mean we stop making mistakes. We just take it harder when we do.

John 13:35

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Yesterday’s devotion ended this way.

“In my past there have been discussions about love being the target and our obedience is the aim and release of our arrow, the cupid concept. Since the small red center of the target is perfect love then hitting anywhere on the target is acceptable even if we don’t hit the red bullseye.

Allow me to use that analogy to help our aim. Get closer to the target.”

The issue of fellowship isn’t just that we need to love one another but to show the world that our differences do not diminish our ability to love one another as Jesus loves us. It is a demonstration of affection which attracts unbelievers to Jesus, not us.

James 4:1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

James begins this chapter with the right words and then examples the worst traits of man which many of us have already overcome. Murder, covetousness, adultery, and rebellion are not part of our lives but then he quotes an issue that goes to the core of the problems that lay hidden in fellowship.

James 4:5

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

Within my soul there is the awareness that just because He dwells in me, it is even more obvious I am not like Him in similitude. I judge myself and in doing so, I judge everyone that is like me, perfectly human and imperfectly holy.

That is the lie of the enemy. We are not here to change one another but rather to draw closer in order to love one another better today than we did yesterday. Each step of faith is a forward progression towards being closer to Jesus and because of His indwelling, closer to one another.

The lost can only see Jesus in us if we can see Jesus in one another. Jesus was all about reaching out to the lost and He has not changed in His attempt to love them. He just does it through us now. Our pettiness blocks that vision for the lost. They will never be attracted to Jesus when we quarrel among ourselves.

Being right isn’t righteousness.