by Pastor Rich Carlson

We have been journeying through the book of Acts and viewing Paul’s letters to his brothers in the church. We are now back on the road with Paul as he starts his second missionary journey.

He must have gotten seasick on the first trip, because this time he takes a land route through Turkey on the way over to Greece, circumventing the northeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. He eventually gets as far as Athens and Corinth before returning to Jerusalem and Antioch. The purposes of the trip appear to be a revisiting of the places where he had established churches earlier, and then forging on into new territory. Paul wanted to make sure the churches were committed to the free grace of the gospel, without piling Jewish religious requirements, such as circumcision, on the new Gentile believers.

After the first journey, Paul and Barnabas had some sort of serious disagreement that ultimately caused them to go their separate ways. This reminded me that even the most effective Christian workers sometimes do not see eye-to-eye, and may have very different methods of working. The parting of Paul and Barnabas was a personality issue rather than a mission issue or a theological issue. It’s just true that not everyone gets along with everyone else. The lesson for me today is that, even though associates may choose to go their separate ways, they can nevertheless work toward the same goals. Disagreement need not get in the way of fulfilling God’s mission.

Imagine what could happen in our churches and lives today if we agreed that we don’t always have to agree, but that our mission should always remain our first priority—

• Always focusing on the spreading the gospel.
• Never purposefully hurting anyone in our disagreement.
• Always building up, and never tearing anyone down.
• Never sullying someone’s character.
• Always believing in the unique roll that God has for each of us.
• Never hindering anyone from following God’s calling.

Barnabas and John Mark set sail for Cyprus to the west. Paul and Silas set out by land for Turkey to the north. Both focused on doing God’s bidding—to encourage, support, train, and worship with believers. I want to treat others that way, even if I don’t agree with them. It is my personal mission only to build up and to focus on God’s mission for each of us.

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. "God is Faithful" is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.