Tag: unity

Come Together with Our Differences

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

Striving Toward Unity (You Version Daily Devotional)

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.

My Thoughts

Well, it is finally here…the great division between the donkeys and the elephants! We went to Bible study last night and one lady commented that she could not understand how a Christian could possibly vote for Kamala, considering all she stands for that is ungodly. Without getting too deep into that topic, I agreed with her. But then I thought about it as we drove home in the heavy darkness, with only a sliver of a moon in the sky. The reason is darkness. If you choose to cloak yourself in darkness, you do not welcome light, nor can you see it. I am not saying that the other candidate is light…far from it. But I support him because his values more closely align with my Biblical worldview.

So what does that have to do with unity? We are one body…all sheep, protected and watched over by the Good Shepherd. So my prayer for today is that at the end of the day, we can all be “One Nation, Under God” not a divided nation as we have been for decades. No matter who wins the election, we all have the same purpose if we are Christ’s followers. We are to glorify Him and to pray for the people in leadership. Things will never be perfect on earth; it’s not meant to be. But we can help make things better by uniting with other believers to make the world a better place for everyone.

Unity

On By vickleaIn prayer, Scripture, YouVersion App4 Comments

This is my prayer, not just for believers but for our nation. Please enjoy this devotional from the YouVersion and join me in praying for our nation today, for unity in spite of our differences of opinion about candidates.

And without adding it to the Scripture, because that would be wrong, let me add the comment there is neither Republican nor Democrat. We believers are called to be one!

Christ Calls You to Unity and Fellowship

Key Verse

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28)

In his letter to the Galatian church, the Apostle Paul offers a glimpse of the demographics of heaven. And it looks like paradise. If there were a census in heaven, it would ask only one question: Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? Everything else is incidental.

But Paul is not necessarily talking about heaven in Galatians 3. He’s talking about the church—Christ’s followers in this world. The unity of our shared purpose far outweighs any differences in race, gender, or background. In 1 Corinthians 12:12–31, Paul uses the human body as an analogy for the church. Within the body, various parts have different features, different functions, and different ways of working. But they share a common goal—one that unites them profoundly and overrides their differences. Like the parts of the human body, Christ’s followers work together and depend on one another to accomplish Christ’s work.

The unity to which Christ calls us can serve as an example to the world. It can inspire and give hope to people who know little about Christ. Learning to embrace—and celebrate—the unique set of cultural mores, personal experiences, and God-given gifts and sensibilities that every believer brings to the work of Christ is one of the most powerful forms of outreach the church has to offer.

A lack of unity within a church can have a devastating effect on its outreach. If people look to the church and see fractious relationships, backbiting, and internal warfare, they will likely, and justifiably, chalk it up to hypocrisy. For many, it will confirm their worst suspicions about Christianity. If they see there’s nothing special about the way Christ’s followers interact with one another, they may question Christ’s ability to change lives. If, on the other hand, people see loving concern, cooperation, encouragement, accountability, and “iron-sharpening iron,” they may be inspired to investigate Christ further.

Romans 12:18 gets to the heart of the matter: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” You may be surprised by how much doesdepend on you—that is, how much unity you can inspire simply by developing a Christlike heart for others.

The walls that separate us are much more fragile than they seem. If you take the time, effort, and risk to reach out to other believers, especially those who are different from you, you’ll find that those walls can be toppled in no time.

(Note: I added the emphasis on those two sentences.)

At 6 p.m. tonight, the night before the election, all believers everywhere are being asked to pray for the election, our nation and that we may be unified afterwards in a miraculous way. Please join me in prayer tonight, no matter what time zone you are in.

May God bless America!

Unity in the Body of Christ

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/44512/day/2

I am so thankful for our church and all of the kind and loving people I have met there. It is a big church, with three services and over 1000 people attending each Sunday. Even so, I have met some awesome Christians there, through Sunday school, through just introducing myself to those around me and through our small group Bible study on Monday nights. In fact, when I was out sick for three weeks, someone from the group contacted me every other day just to see if Harry and I needed anything and how I was doing. I rejoiced when I got to return this past Sunday and I even went to Bible study last night. I was greeted with hugs and genuine joy that I was back and better. It’s good to have a support group, and when you know that each member of your group knows you and misses you when you aren’t there, that means everything.

Unity in the body is important because I think it’s the way we show others that we are different. We don’t just ask “How are you” and then not listen to the answer. We genuinely care because when one is missing, we feel the pain of their absence. God’s desire for each of us is to live in unity so that the world can see that people can get along and love each other without taking advantage of each other or expecting anything in return for kindness. In a world where everyone seems to be using the shoulders of others to boost themselves up, we are united in holding each other up, bearing each other’s burdens and fulfilling God’s law of loving each other first. Real unity can become a reality, even in a big church, if you just make sure you are an active participant and get to know others within a smaller group. God is good and He knows the best thing for us is to get together with other believers and discuss what is happening in our lives as we study His Word.

Unity

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

What does “unity” mean and how do we get there in this world that seems more divided each day? Many years ago, I studied in a history class the root causes of division between people, with my teacher instructing us that the basic problem was that some people have and others don’t. The ones who don’t want what the “haves” possess, so thus begins bitterness, envy and division. I believed what the teacher said then and I believe that this division has spread to families and even churches. Sadly.

I have been staying in NC in a home filled with the opposite of unity. There is bitterness, anger and unhappiness abounding. So, instead of good and pleasant, it is awful and very unpleasant. I am not happy here because I don’t feel that I can change anything, caught as I am between the factions that are determined to attack each other. Without the Lord, this situation is unredeemable, and I am doing all I can to stand in the gap and present God to them, the God of love, forgiveness and acceptance.

I have to pray a lot here, with a constant attitude of prayer, lest I lash out and tell my sibling how I see her actions and how she is hurting others. I can say a few things to encourage but nothing much that seems to be making a difference and that is discouraging. Still I persist and pray with my husband daily for strength, physical, mental and spiritual. The whole armor of God is a necessity here!

Speaking quietly and with soothing words seems to help some but it isn’t bringing the unity that I crave to see. Years of bitterness and resentment are seething under the surface, waiting to bubble out. Do I understand what is actually happening? Yes, of course. This is spiritual warfare!

The greatest example of love that Jesus gave us was His sacrifice on the cross. Thus, I am attempting daily to show love in practical ways so that some peace is found in the environment. It’s hard to be with someone who hates people just because of what they believe, but that’s where I am now. I’m at the point where I am praying and then trying to muddle through and make it to the end of my visit without damaging my own health too much. I am sure this is not what God envisioned when he made us a family, and I feel guilty about disappointing Him, but I don’t know what else to do but pray and stand.

This week has been beyond difficult for me, and I sincerely appreciate all of the prayers for me and this situation. I have five more days here and then I can go home and recover.

Have a blessed Saturday, my friends! Remember to hold your loved ones close and to show love to all whom you meet. You never know what a difference you might make!