So fly...

It felt like it was taunting me,landing briefly on my desk, then my arm, and even my forehead. I could almost hear it laughing at me.

It was time to fight with the fly…and I didn’t have much time. As soon as it landed on my computer, my arms tensed, my hands flattened, my mind at attention…I was locked in!

CLAP! (Read it closely ?)…Splat!

I was almost afraid to pull my flattened hands apart, wondering if I or the fly had won the duel.

Troy – 1, Fly – 0.

As I stared at the lifeless fly, I felt a surge of victory. I won! But as I looked at the little creature in the palm of my hand, I felt a twinge of guilt about killing it. It was a marvel of creation, capable of impressive acrobatics, and here I was, simply dismissing it.

On a serious note, there have been plenty of times when I’ve found myself in disagreements—philosophical or theological duels—with others. My tendency has often been to focus on winning the argument and proving my way is right. However, when it comes to matters of faith, there’s a better way.

In our current sermon series through the book of Jude, we’re discussing false teachers spreading lies and changing doctrine. While these teachers need to be addressed, I believe the bigger opportunity is to address the many people who are being influenced by those false teachers. We can choose to go for the win, or we can reflect the mercy of God.

Jude 17-22 offers advice for our responses directly from the brother of Jesus.

And when it comes to serious disagreements, I’m reminded that since we’ve been shown mercy, God expects us to respond with mercy.