Be A Bee

(Photo by Diana Macrsanu -Unsplash)

I will agree with you many times in dealing with bees we are on the wrong end of the bee. That end makes it hard to get along with them. So why would I say that we need to be a bee? As I was reading Colossians 3:15-17, in the Amplified version, God showed me how we as Christians should be as bees.

Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

As bees in the hive are dedicated to serving the queen, our focus should be on spending time daily on Jesus and His word. This is how we are able to have that inner calm that helps us to decide what to do when problems arise. When we are all focused on Jesus and His word we can get along with each other because we are ourselves will take on the mindset of Christ.

Impossible, you might say. They over there at that church don’t believe what I believe and are wrong in how they worship. Silly as that sounds, denominations came about because of that very thing. When you look at it, the focus is not on Jesus but how one group wants to do something compared to the other group. The danger of not reaching across our differences as brothers and sisters in Christ we will miss out on some great friends, and blessings from God. When we fail to reach out and cross the divide of denominations we fail in having the mind of Christ.

The church in Acts was united as one body helping each other out. A great example in my area of churches joining together to reach outside of themselves is a project called Community Link. Here those in need can come and get food and other necessities that the churches have gathered together. The churches rotate turns in serving those in need. Each year just before school starts they get together and provide school supplies, shoes, glasses, haircuts, fun, and food to those that come to Community Link for help.

Having the mind of Christ helps us to get along with other Christians, does it help with getting along with those that are not Christians? My oldest son and I were talking this morning about 2 Corinthians 5:16-19. When I read it to him from the Amplified he fell in love with how it opened it up.

So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].

Because we have become a new creation when we became a Christian that also includes a new mindset. This is seeing others with the mind of Christ and taking on the message of reconciliation of those that are in this world. A friend of mine shared on FB how the sweetness of God’s love, mercy and grace can touch those in the world.

“This evening I was witness to one of the most incredible examples of grace and love I have seen in a while. I was in one the discount stores picking up detergent. I got in the long line to pay for my one item and was a little annoyed at the long line especially since it was really warm in the store. The man in front of me complained very loudly about the line and made a few very inappropriate remarks about the African American cashier and the elderly African American woman that was having trouble with her card. I was very embarrassed and did not know what to say. The woman in front of the man turned to him, she was African American and had every right to be angry, she had every right to say something to him but this beautiful woman was full of grace. She showed that just because you have “the right to” doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. This incredible woman turned to this rude man and said, “We are all just doing our best. It seems you’re having a bad day and you don’t love yourself or others very much but I want you to know Jesus still loves you and so do I.” She continued to talk to the man until it was her turn to check out and then she paid for the man’s items. He was crying as he thanked her, I was holding back tears as I checked out. When I left the store the woman was still witnessing to the man in the parking lot.
It was a beautiful thing to witness as well as humbling. While I was annoyed and embarrassed she was showing the grace, mercy, and Jesus to someone who needed to hear it and because she was so compassionate he was open, his heart was open to hearing and receiving what she had to say. I pray for this woman to continue to seize the opportunities to SHOW Jesus, I pray for this man that the seeds that were planted today will take root and grow and I pray that I would spend more time looking for opportunities to show the love and grace of Jesus than feeling annoyed. I am so grateful to have witnessed this moment.”

This woman saw this man, not with human eyes but the eyes and mind of Christ as someone that needed to be reconciled back to the Heavenly Father.

So yes, be a bee with the hive mindset on Jesus and bring the sweetness of reconcilation to those in the world.