ROOTED RENEGADE

Our society is so divided. Between politics, religion, human rights, etc. there are households that are no longer unified. Families that are being torn apart. Friendships that are falling apart. Marriages that are spiraling. 

The spirit of divisiveness has been given permission to enter the gates of our homes, cities, counties, states, and countries. Let’s look at the definition of it…

“Divisiveness is the state or quality of causing or tending to cause disagreement or dissension.”

When allowed to infiltrate our homes, it pits family member against family member. When allowed to infiltrate our relationships, it pits friend against friend. And so forth. This pitting causes separation. The separation causes brokenness.

When I was younger I used to hear the phrase, “oh what a tangled web we weave when we practice deceit” and it has stuck with me ever since.

Divisiveness is that web which gets weaved in the spirit causing people to be on opposite sides from one another unable to come together in agreement. It’s also a web of deceit as this spirit blinds people to the truth. There is no “my/your truth” because the truth is absolute. Opinions are subjective. This spirit’s deception is to get you to believe that all opinions are truth and anyone who disagrees is your enemy.

We see this every day in one way or another. People lose relationships every day because of divisiveness. We have a country torn apart politically. We have churches whose congregations are split. The list could go on.

So how do we change it? We start by looking in the Word of God. Matthew 5:3-11 is a description of Jesus people who don’t value their opinions over truth. They recognize their need for a Savior and are dependent upon God for their sustenance (and not just physically but spiritually).

They are surrendered people who realize they are not the ultimate authority on anything. They are the ones who have learned to count the cost and pay it knowing that earth is not their home…heaven is. 

If I have learned anything through parenting adult children and being a follower of Jesus, is that I don’t know it all, can’t know it all, and that each day I have the ability to learn something new. My opinions are not always truth for someone else. My experiences, while my teacher, may not teach another the same way. And the only way to truly keep divisiveness out of my life and my home, is to submit to Holy Spirit. Period.

My submission keeps me in line with what He is saying and doing. It keeps me out of my own way and the way of others. I can’t kick divisiveness out if I submit to it and not Holy Spirt. That’s truth.

What we agree with, we allow. Regardless of whether that is something good or not. If I were to fight against everything people said that I didn’t agree with, I would be exhausted. And I can say from experience, that is not where I want to be again. 

God made us uniquely and different. We will always have different opinions than others. We won’t like the same things as others. The point is not to spend our energy debating everything that we don’t agree with. We must align to the truth in God’s Word and flow with Holy Spirit standing up for what He calls us to stand up for and taking a seat when He asks us to.

Kicking this spirit out is a necessity if we want homes, cities, states, and countries that come into full alignment with the Word of God. It can’t be done in a silo. And it can’t be done without Holy Spirit.

I encourage you to ask Holy Spirit to show you where and how you have let this spirit in and how you can kick it right back out the door. 

Faythe