Striving Toward Unity
Almost every successful company or group in history has shared something in common: they all had a unifying mission.
Missions are critical in not only aligning objectives, but also unifying a large group of people toward one purpose.
As Christians, we all share the same mission. We are unified in following Christ. We're saved by His blood (Romans 5:9) and we're all called to make disciples in His name (Matthew 28:19).
And yet, even among Christians, there is so much division and disunity.
Part of the division comes from our lack of clarity and commitment to the mission that is defined in Scripture. And to make it worse, we are sinful people, and sin naturally causes division in our lives and relationships.
But, the Psalmist in Psalm 133:1 reflects on how good it is when the people of God live together in unity. There is something powerful that happens among Christians when we are unified.
Unity is not putting away our differences, because there would be no need to be unified if we were all the same. No, unity is coming together with our differences and striving to make much of Jesus together.
We can accomplish so much more for God’s kingdom together than we can alone. But, we must strive for unity to make that happen. Life's better when we work together.
Take a moment to consider the people in your life who might be different from you. What steps can you take today to build a greater sense of unity with those around you? Consider a few ways that you can make Jesus famous in your life through the relationships and communities that you’re in.
Keep the Faith
In the book of 2 Timothy, we find Paul writing a letter to Timothy—a fellow missionary and close friend.
Many Bible scholars believe that this was the last letter Paul wrote before his death, and that he wrote it from a Roman prison cell. Reflecting on his own life and believing that his death was coming soon, Paul writes a powerful passage:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7 NIV
Faithful.
Paul was faithful to God and, without end, God was faithful to Paul. Shipwrecked. Stoned. Abandoned by friends. Imprisoned. The list of what Paul suffered goes on and on. But he persevered. He remained steadfast in his devotion to Christ.
When you think about your life, what do you want to be able to say at the end?
In Paul, we see an example of what it can look like to cling to faith in Christ. He knew what it meant to be dependent on Him for everything. He drew his strength from God, knowing he couldn't do it without ...