Are We Immature Woodpeckers?

I looked outside this morning and a young Red Bellied Woodpecker came skidding in for a landing at the bird feeder. He didn’t want other birds around and kept trying to scare them away from the feeder. The mature birds looked at him like he was a twerp. This happened the other day with another young bird. The woodpecker made noises, flew a couple inches up into the air, and jabbed the birds with his beak.

It reminded me of the Body of Christ when we peck at each other over matters that are not related to salvation. My former church has a contemporary service and a traditional service, when I scheduled prayer ministers (people who were serving others) some prayer team members refused to attend one service or the other because they hated the music, or it was too early or too late. They lost sight they were there to serve others. Christians fall out over is there a Rapture? Is the Rapture pre-trib, mid-trip, or post trib? Christians argue about wine or grape juice at Communion. Churches split over the gifts of the Spirit. And let's not even talk female pastors/priests/ministers...

Do we ever stop to consider how that appears to the unsaved? People watch how we act in the real world; they listen to what we say in the real world. We must live the Gospel, it cannot be a Sunday thing, it must be a daily thing. The Bible tells us:

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you if the fruit in your life is not a harvest of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

I am off to pray and watch birds. Have a blessed day!