Dysfunction Gone Wild

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Television can make dysfunction funny. Take the successful TV series The Office which aired from 2005-2013. The setting was a paper distribution company called Dunder Mifflin. With a variety of quirky characters that you might find in any office anywhere, dysfunction seemed to be the guiding principle of the show.

 Most likely the reason that a dysfunctional office is funny is because we can relate to it and identify with the quirky characters. In reality though, dysfunction is the result of our sinful nature and not to be taken lightly.

Consider King David. Although a man after God’s own heart, he had no clue when it came to the dysfunction of his family. Amnon, one of David’s sons, raped his step-sister, Tamar. When David didn’t do anything about it, her biological brother, Absalom, killed Amnon. In this case, it sounds like dysfunction gone wild.

The church at Corinth seems to have been the definition of a dysfunctional church. They struggled with everything from divisions over leadership to immorality and incest to favoritism based on status. It’s hard to imagine that they had any redeeming qualities. Yet, Paul had enough hope in them that he didn’t give up.

In the verses today, Paul wrote about lawsuits amongst believers in the church. Here is yet another example of the Corinthian believers not being able to work and play well together; an example of their dysfunction. Paul makes these observations.

 ⁵ I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? ⁶ But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers! ⁷ Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.              NLT

You may not have ever taken another believer to court, but conflict starts small and builds to a crescendo. It begins with a something little between an employer and employee, or two business owners, or neighbors or between husband and wife.

Conflict is a part of the human predicament. It happens every day of our lives. The question is how will you deal with it? Paul suggests working things out, finding a mediator or just accepting the injustice.

Whatever you do, don’t let it become, dysfunction go wild.