Nip it in the bud

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. – Matthew 5.23-24

Whenever I hear the phrase ‘nip it in the bud’ my mind goes to a 60’s American television comedy called ‘The Andy Griffith Show.’ Andy Griffith (Andy Taylor) and Don Knotts (Barney Fife) star as the sheriff and deputy in a small North Carolina town. Barney often uses the phrase ‘nip it in the bud’ to describe how important it is to deal with petty crimes and misdemeanours before they get to be real problems.

When I researched the phrase I found out that it goes back at least 1595 when it was ‘nip it in the bloom.’ ‘Extinguish these fond loues with minds labour, and nip thy affections in the bloome, that they may neuer bee of power to budde.’

The modern version first appears in 1607 – ‘Yet I can frowne and nip a passion Euen in the bud.’

Hold on for just a second while we apply this phrase to this passage.

Family conflicts are sad. Even sadder is that they are going to happen. In a perfect world made up of perfect families full of perfect people they wouldn’t. But we aren’t perfect so they do happen.

Jesus knew that – that is why He tells us how to resolve them. I think we can forget sometimes that relationships in the body are vitally important. In another place Jesus tells us that if we have been offended by a brother we need to go deal with it. We go to him and sort it out before we do anything else. In other words, Jesus tells us that when there is a problem with another believer we need, indeed, to nip it in the bud.

Here Jesus tells us what to do when we know that a brother has something against us.

‘If you got to worship and leave your offering to God and realise that a brother has something against you, go to him first, sort it out, and then come with your offering.’

I like these two things put together. Unity in the body of Christ is vital. We cannot function if there is division. We cannot move forward if we are constantly looking sideways at each other. Satan will use division destroy our effectiveness.

It really is pretty simple – if we have an issue with another believer, no matter who is to blame, we both are responsible to fix it. Instead of waiting on the other person to come we both should be working to fix it. I may not know that I have offended someone. They may not know that they have offended me. So no matter what, when I am aware there is an issue I need to approach the other.

What is required to do this? Humility is the answer. Somebody has to be the first one to sort of an offence. If we would only consistently follow the words of Christ we would nip conflicts in the bud and they would never be an issue.

Do you have conflict in mind? Has someone offended you or have you noticed that someone has something against you? Don't hesitate, act now, nip it in the bud.