Unity

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! – Psalm 133:1 AMPC

During the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, as I watched the 142 sailors of the Royal Navy pull the coffin on the gun carriage – “Unity” came to mind.

For the sailors to pull that gun carriage without any mishap, every action had to be done in unison. Every single one of them is important, if any one of them falls or stumbles the whole formation will be affected – which wouldn’t be a pretty sight!

This brings me to the body of Christ, Jesus prayed:

“I’m praying not only for them, But also for those who will believe in me, Because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.” John 17:20 –22 (MSG)

It’s amazing! Jesus prayed for us, even before we ever existed or had any idea we were going to become His followers. This emphasises the importance of our unity as the body of Christ – according to His prayer, it is a witness to the world.

Note, anything that is of importance to God, also becomes important to the devil, as it becomes his area of attack. This is evident in the way the unity of the body of Christ is constantly under attack to discredit our witness to the world.

These attacks occur within and between churches and denominations. As believers, we need to strive for unity in every way we can. Consciously, praying and standing up against disunity. Our unity is more of a witness to our faith than our preaching. Our unity confirms what we preach to the world.

“I therefore… 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 (ESV)

 “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” Colossian 3: 14-15 (ESV)

To dwell together in unity requires work because the bonds of unity and peace will sometimes be tested. Unity is not the absence of conflict but how conflict is managed to ensure unity and peace.

Although Christ unites us, we should understand that the Church is made up of believers from diverse cultures and walks of life. Many believers come to faith with some “baggage” sometimes particularly challenging or difficult ones. As a church, we should be careful not to be too quick to push others who may be slow to respond in faith but as the scripture says – bear with one another.

God is pleased and glorified when we live in unity, Psalms 133 ends with:

“It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon, flowing down the slopes of Zion.
Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life.” Vs 3 (MGS)

Stay blessed,

LaraLex