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Deuteronomy 12:5,8

⁵But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;

⁸You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit...

Where has the Lord placed His name today? It is on you, Christian. There are many in the body of Christ who do as they see fit. Instead of joining together with those upon whom God has placed His name, they worship alone. It is much easier to worship alone than to join with a body of believers. People create problems. The thing we must realize is that I am one! I am part of the problem. Isolating myself will not help. The problems arise when we worship together because we are not yet perfect. Those problems are help us learn and grow. They give us the opportunity to be gracious and demonstrate love and mercy. The problems demonstrate my weaknesses and need for continued growth and fellowship.

It is much more comfortable to avoid my weaknesses which are seen through conflict with my brothers and sisters. It is easier to avoid the need to demonstrate mercy and grace. Remember, though, that Jesus said the world would know we are Christians by our love. This love shows the life of Christ when it forgives and is gracious in the face of offenses, not when everyone just gets along.

God lets you choose. You can do as the LORD has directed you in not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together or go the easy route. The easy route is doing as you see fit. The friction in the body is the grinding of the living stones so that they fit into place in the temple of God.

Consider: Are you willing to endure friction that you might be changed?