When
Cephas came to Antioch, I confronted him directly – face-to-face. I saw that he
was acting hypocritically; bringing condemnation on himself and leading others
away from truth. (Galatians 2:11)
When you see a friend messing up in a way
that will harm that person and others around them, will you step up to address
it? Do you feel a responsibility for praying; asking God to give you direction?
Do you act when the Holy Spirit moves you to speak? There is great risk – to
relationships, self-interest, even to the entire group, when someone falls
short of the community’s stated values. It is a big deal.
Paul and Peter (Cephas) were two of the most
visible leaders of the early church. Conflict between them was a serious issue
that carried a high degree of risk. Paul must have wondered how it would end,
when he decided to confront Peter with his failure. Fortunately, we know from Peter
himself that he and Paul continued to have a solid, perhaps better,
relationship (2 Peter 3:15), but Paul could not have been sure of this ending
when he approached Peter. Fortunately, Peter did listen, and the church
community was strengthened.
Measuring your own performance, and the
actions of your people is important ongoing work. Holding them, and yourself
accountable in humility is a critical part of creating a strong values-based
culture.
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