I think unity is a subject that we all need to embrace and work towards if we are ever going to make a difference in this world. John 13:34-36 says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Sometimes I just really like the daylights and want to share - So posted below is the one from today.
Avoiding the Abundant Life #4 - Wednesday February 11, 2009
By David Megill
"An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment" Proverbs. 18:1 NIV
The number four way to avoid the abundant life is to isolate yourself.
Try something. Are you ready? Okay, here goes. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps-literally. Oh, you don't have bootstraps? Okay, by your shoelaces then. Or your pants cuffs, or your belt loops...Obviously it can't be done! Yet, this statement and the difficulty of actually succeeding reflects a problem in current cultural philosophy. While God calls us to personal responsibility, the Bible does not encourage the same level of individualism as our American culture.
The truth is that Scripture is clear of two things about one who isolates himself: First, his motive is selfish. Perhaps he is protecting his reputation in case of failure, or perhaps he doesn't want to share the rewards of success. Often we accuse others for our lack of connection, but frequently it is our own selfish interest we are protecting.
Second, he defies all sound judgment. Benjamin Franklin said, "If we don't hang together, we shall surely hang separately." The truth is that God has designed life to be abundant in shared quantity. Scripture is clear that the Christian life can only be lived fully if its lived corporately.
Isolating yourself is easily done. It's the unity of the spirit that takes effort to preserve. To avoid the abundant life, avoid others who are pursuing the abundant life. Otherwise, just when you have a good funk going, someone may come along and ruin it with an encouraging story or act.
Jesus prays for the unity of His church in John 17:20-24. Verse 23 says,
ReplyDelete"I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity THAT THE WORLD WILL KNOW that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me."
I'm sure you've heard the song, "They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love." It's our love for one another through which the world will see God!
He gives us the command in chapter 13, the prays for it again in 17. It's probably a pretty important command. :)
I really appreciate what you said MB :)
ReplyDeleteEven from when I first became a Christian, John 13-17 have been some of the chapters of the Bible that I refer back to.
Not only does Jesus pray for unity in John 17:20-24 like what Joshua commented on but I like the few verses before in John 17:16-18 - "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world."
We can't be sent into the world and show ourselves to be disciples by our love if there is no unity. What a great characteristic God has given us to love and to show the oneness that we have with each other.
At first, i was like... i've heard thsi recently somewhere... ha! in daylights!
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