In youth group this Sunday we finished up a series on relationships. We specifically talked about how relationships change over time. Sometimes you step away from people you once had a great relationship with because of a disagreement or a different vision.

That was the case with Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15. Paul and Barnabas had to manage their “sharp dispute” over the effectiveness of bringing John Mark with them on their missionary journey.

Here’s the story: And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus (Acts 15:36-39). 

As I read through that passage and the rest of the account throughout the book of Acts, I observed four things that I think can help when it comes to relationships.

1. They stepped back. They realized they may need to get away from the situation and not continually let this one thing be a problem.

2. They gave it time. They knew that they were not going to solve their differences and needed to take some time away from each other.

3. They didn’t let it distract them. They ultimately had a mission to live out, and neither one of them were willing to let this stop them from that.

4. They remained friendly. Each of them continued to speak highly of each other and found each other’s ministry beneficial. In fact, I feel they kept in touch because Paul had to have heard of what was going on in the life of John Mark when, in the letter to Timothy, he writes that he is beneficial to his ministry.

It’s not easy to have sharp disputes with people, and often navigating that relationship after the dispute is one of the most difficult things to do. If we’re not careful, we can fall into the trap of gossiping and slandering the people who were once close to us. We could all learn something from the way that Paul and Barnabas handled their “sharp dispute.”

For some reason, I became fixated about the fact that what you think in your head, if you put in the work, can become a physical reality.

This morning, as I was explaining this idea to my son in the car, we passed by downtown Louisville. I explained it like this. “See that building (talking about the Mercer building for those who live in the ‘ville)…before it was a building, it was an idea in someone’s head. But then they created something physical out of their idea.”

I kept explaining to him how I believe that creating is something shows that we are made in the image of God, the Creator. He said to me, “And it all comes back around to Jesus.” He was half-joking, but I told him that, because of my Christian worldview, of course everything comes back around to Jesus (but that’s not really the point of this post).

I continued explaining that our dog doesn’t wake up in the morning and have the desire to create music or art or buildings. She really just wants to chase the rabbits in our back yard. Really, when you think about it, animals do not create the way that humans do.

We have a desire to create things because in our creation we are mimicking our creator. We are being like God when we create. Since my son was on his way to a band camp, I was explaining that his trumpet playing was also worshipping God today. He will be creating music, and that is something that my dog would never do.

Anytime you create…you are worshipping and being like your creator. If you are building or designing or playing music or painting or creating YouTube videos or drawing or speaking, you are creatively being like your Creator.

So always be creating. Those ideas you have in your head are given to you by God. He is the ultimate Creator, and, as His image-bearer, you and I have a desire–dare I say a need–to create.