Striving Toward Unity
Almost every successful company or group in history has shared something in common: they all had a unifying mission.
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.
In Psalm 133:1, Psalmist 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.
True Friendship
Would you rather have hundreds of “friends” who know you, but don’t really know you—who call you a friend, but only when it’s convenient? Or, would you rather have one true friend who always sticks by your side?
The writer of Proverbs, typically attributed to King Solomon, said this:
“There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
Proverbs 18:24 NLT
Some friends come into our lives because of proximity: you work at the same business, your kids go to the same school, or you frequent the same places. But just because you know someone’s name and follow each other on social media, doesn’t mean you’re true friends.
When it comes to genuine friendship, quality over quantity is key.
Even the truest of friends will occasionally let you down, because no one is perfect—except Jesus. He is the truest friend of all.
Learning from Jesus’ example, there are certain characteristics that ...