So we had a rough morning at the Benedict house the other day…OK, maybe it was this morning. In a household of six, it is not uncommon for someone to “get out of the wrong side of the bed,” but it’s fairly unusual for ALL of us to cross over to the dark side at the same time.

Here’s the situation. Pam teaches piano lessons on Wednesdays and Thursdays. So on Tuesday nights, she simply asks that we pick up our things so that the living room, dining room, and kitchen are in good shape in advance of her students arriving.  She will do the dusting and vacuuming, but the backpacks, shoes, laptops, Legos, iPods, jackets, newspapers, piles of schoolbooks, and assorted debris needs to be gone.  

Well, last night got away from us.  Amanda was at her Tuesday night girl’s Bible study and then did a late night shopping session with Pam at Target.  Meanwhile, Justin, Katelyn, and I were at home simultaneously doing schoolwork, watching Star Trek Voyager reruns, and making applesauce from the two bushels of apples we just got from Hartland orchard.  It was absolute mayhem and so much fun!  

Well, needless to say, the living room didn’t get picked up, nor did the dining room…and the kitchen? Did you know that dried homemade applesauce is stronger than superglue and sticks to most everything?    

So this morning was, shall we say, a bit “chaotic” as we all rushed around to get out the door for school and work.

“Whose shoes are these?” Mom asks

They’re not mine, I didn’t leave them there! 

“I didn’t say you left them there, I just asked if you knew who’s they were.” Mom replies.

“Can someone move this computer printer, please?”  

“Josh left it there. I didn’t get it out.”

“Well, Josh is back at Liberty University and probably can’t make the 3 1/2 hour trip back to put it away.  Can you get it?”

“Well, I can, but I didn’t leave it there…”

It was not a good morning.

 Have you ever had a day in which everyone, including yourself, seemed more interested in justifying their own actions and assigning blame than actually solving the problem or moving forward?  Paul’s instructions are so practical and so helpful for a family (or church) seeking to live life together in unity.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

 Strife and conflict are often rooted in selfishness and ego, even for those who are technically on the “right side” of an issue.  When we become more interested in how others view us or who was right or wrong rather than trusting the heart of the other person or working together to move forward in unity, we are setting ourselves up for conflict.  Unity grows out of the soil of humility.

Sometimes there’s “junk” in the living room of our house or church.  Let’s clean it up together, so the work of God’s kingdom can advance.