Are great things decaying?

Living in accord with God's will is sometimes made all the harder when we are living in relationships with others on this earth, is it not? We find varying 'opinions' on how things should be done, who should do them, when they should be done. All the while, we say we live in unity, but deep down, are we in opposition to the will of God in our lives? It might be so if we find ourselves unwilling to align our actions with those God has asked of us or being unwilling to forgive someone who has offended us by some slight they have committed. God's plan is for us to align our actions and our relationships with him - not choosing to go our own way, following our own 'opinion' on matters.

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. (I Corinthians 1:10)

The Roman historian Sallust said, "Harmony makes small things grow, lack of it makes great things decay." We cannot allow 'division' to occur within our homes, friendships, or even our community relationships. It will bring 'decay' in many different forms. I have noticed that things don't decay from the outside in as much as they do from the inside out. That indicates to us that decay in relationships may go unnoticed until the 'foulness' of the decay is evident. It behooves us to remain vigilant in keeping Christ central in our relationships, for where he abides no decay is possible. He has conquered death, hell, and the grave - no decay occurs on his watch!

Deteriorating relationships may not be noticeable at first, so we must be aware of what it takes to keep things alive and vibrant within them. The first thing to 'go' is often deep, honest, trusting communication. It seems like the 'spigot' of trusting sharing is down to a trickle and then maybe a drop, until there is no 'flow' at all. Perhaps there would be greater harmony in homes and communities if we'd just pay attention to the words we share and the ones we don't. Just sayin!