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The Mark of Failure
Marsha KochiMark 3:23-26 NASB "And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!”
Mark 4:39-41 NASB “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"”
In Mark 3, Jesus is saying, how can we be divided and still stand? How are we going to survive when we come against each other? Then in Mark 4, the disciples wake him, in panic, and tell Jesus to do something about the high winds and the raging sea. Jesus calms the winds and stills the sea; yet they question His authority in fear.
We see all that the Lord has done for us, we see the miracles, the healing, and the changed lives. We see how God would use lowly people like ourselves, to bring someone to freedom through Him. But as soon as the winds rise and the seas rage, or rather when we are in a storm, we question the very One that always save us. Our human nature, our flesh, has motives. We question Who we should trust with all our hearts, and believe the lies of those who only want to bring division. Whether it is because of jealousy, doubt, anger or fear, our human will retaliates and brings division. At any given time in our lives we have experience the force of division, and we, ourselves are guilty of being the cause of division. The very thing that Jesus is saying here is, we cannot be divided, we cannot have (un)friendly fire among ourselves. When I am not in agreement, and I retaliate against my authority, there is disunity and people, ministry, and I myself fall; everything fails. It cannot work, God created us in the image of a His Son. The devil is waiting for such a time as when we are in disunity, and grumbling to slither in and cause a major rift. We give him legal rights to bring an entire ministry down. I don't ever want to be the cause of a ministry, church or its leaders, end in the Kingdom works that were assigned to them, because of my selfish, rebellious flesh. I have to submit, and ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse every part of me. I can see in the above verses that seeded between the lines is someone being jealous of the accomplished works of the Lord. Whether it is the enemy or people with ungodly motives to cause disunity. If we are in the same ministry, fighting against the same enemy, but empowered with One God, why does it have to be about me? Even if I am in disagreement, my authority is telling me to die to my flesh, to forgive and move to the purposes, the anointing the assignment that God has placed upon me, I best do, exactly that. Division, un forgiveness, gossip, building a personal army to side with me is unnecessary and can only bring calamity. God knows exactly what is happening, He knows how to deal with whatever is happening. He doesn't need me.
Father, I ask that this ministry does not fall because of unhealthy coping skills, under developed leaders, fleshly desires and selfishness. That I will always think about the things that You can do when I go before You rather than dwell in jealousy and discord. Forgive me for the times that I have walked in self pity, I repent of that act of unholiness and I pray for wholeness and the freedom from my fleshly will. Help me to forgive fast, let go, and allow grace to move forward.
