“Out Of Court Settlement!”

“Out Of Court Settlement!”(I Cor. 6:1-8).
Some months ago we lost an illustrious son in the US. He had just graduated from a military school. Circumstances did not permit for him to be brought to Cameroon for burial. Visas were also denied to family members who would have attended his funeral in OKC, USA. As God planned it, I was now the one to bring back the grave soil to be buried in Bali as a memento.
Back home in Bali the family requested that since I’m a pastor I should be part of them for the mock burial.
In my meditation during the occasion three days ago I dwelt on vanity. I talked about letting go, because we are fond of fighting for what we are soon to leave behind. We forget that the same things we are fighting for were owned by some people before us. And whether we fight for them or not, we are soon to leave them to other people.
All our earthly acquisitions are transient. We are only tenants where we think we are landlords. All the bickering are not worth it.
Why did I bore you with the rigmarole story above? It is because while we were relaxing after the mock burial, one lady told me, “Ba pastor, what I gathered from your meditation is when you psaid, “Being Christian and letting it go does not mean that you fold your hands and say, ‘I leave it to God’, while allowing an aggressive person to take what is rightfully yours!”
Even so, we Christians are the difference, otherwise there’s no reason to stand out that we are different.
Yes, we are different in that when we have our differences, we resolve it amicably. We do not need the courts to solve our problems.
For example, every home has problems, and the homes of pastors are not exceptions. But in my home I and my wife decided that no outsider – not even close family members – will ever be invited to resolve our differences. We talk it out and resolve it amicably.
We Christians can only shine the light of God by being the difference. We do not need the judiciary and the legislative to solve insignificant squabbles amongst us Christians. We are to judge the world.
How can we be proud to say we are different when we take our differences and misunderstandings to court to be judged by people who are not the light of the world?
If we can overcome our greed and tame our egos, we can be able to show forth the example of saints who have the sole prerogatives of judging the rest of humanity; and not vice versa.
My dear friend, defend the name of Christ by resolving your quarrels amicably as a Christian family.
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit, inspire us to always reflect the name of Christ by resolving our matters out of court. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.