To wear a mask or not... 3 Guiding Principles for Every Believer when Your Church Reopens

Pray for your church leaders as churches implement their reopening plans.

This is a time to pursue true Christian unity and charity. We don’t have to see eye to eye to walk arm in arm. 

Jesus said that the world will know that we are Christians by our love for one another. So, now is the time to love your brother and sister who may have differing views about reopening, social distancing, and wearing masks. 

Let’s just say it:

We probably won’t love every detail of our churches’ reopening plans.

That’s OK. Our leaders are doing the best they can do to try to shepherd everyone in the flock. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17).

The test of your Christian character is not going to be how you respond to the parts of your church’s plan that you agree with. The test of your character is how you will respond to those parts of the plan that you disagree with. The test of your character will be how you respond to those brothers and sisters who positions and opinions are diametrically opposite to yours.

Anybody can act lovingly toward somebody they agree with. But it requires the Spirit of Christ operating fully in us for us to act lovingly to somebody that we disagree with.

The death of Christ on the cross is to be reflected in our death to our selfishness. The resurrection of Christ from the grave is to be reflected in our resurrection to new life that results in the pursuit of charity and unity.

The world is watching whether we will love one another or not. If we can’t love one another when we disagree, then why should anyone in the world want to know the Jesus that we say we are following?

Fellow brothers and sisters are watching whether we will love one another or not. If we can’t love one another when we have different viewpoints, then why should that brother or sister want to stay a part of our family of faith?

More importantly, the Lord is watching whether we will love one another. If we cannot love one another through this season of differing ideas, then how dare we think that we are pleasing to God?

Are we more in love with our positions than with Christ’s people?

Here are three guiding principles for us pulled from sections of the New Testament.

1. Be eager to maintain unity.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

2. Refuse to pass judgment on those who disagree with you. 

”Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand... For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God... Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother... So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil... So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding... It is good not to... do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves” (Romans 14:4, 7-8, 10, 13, 16, 19, 21-22).

3. Think that someone else’s opinion is more important than yours.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...” (Philippians 2:3-5).

So, which of these 3 guiding principles did you need to be reminded of the most? 

What could you do to help you follow that principle more closely? 

What will you do? Who can help you? When will you start?