WEEK 29 – DAY 2

July 20, 2021

UNITY

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Romans 15:5-7

God created each of us to be uniquely individual. We each have our own personality, character strengths and flaws, likes and dislikes, and opinions. Boy, do we have opinions! We sometimes try to force others to share our perspective on things. We need to learn that we can be completely different in many ways and still work together for the glory of God. Even our spiritual gifts can clash.  My gifts of mercy and teaching often collide forcefully with a friend’s gifts of discernment and prophecy. Me: “How can you just blow him out of the water when the Lord just set his ship back afloat?” Friend: “Well, if you coddle him, he’ll never see that he’s drifting the wrong way!” When we’re both listening to the Spirit’s leading, however, we can work together effectively. She can more gently point out the things the person needs to change and the possible consequences of his actions, and I can nurture that person through the process of turning it over to God without watering down the truth. Both of us are needed. The unity we have in Christ is clearly seen when we work with believers from other cultures. I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside believers from other cultures both at home and overseas. Even when my sister in Christ could speak no English, and I very little Russian, we could share the love the Lord has given us for each other. I showed  respect for her beliefs by covering my head with a scarf and wearing no make-up when worshiping in her church. God’s love knows no boundaries or borders; we’re the ones who construct roadblocks. We need to overcome our differences and praise God in the way we serve him together. May the report card of our lives have an outstanding in “works well with others.”

Father, please tear down any roadblocks we’ve set up that are hampering the unity between us and other believers. Let your Holy Spirit free us from prejudice and the need to impose our opinions. Let us work with all types of believers to bring glory to You!