December 14

Living in Unity

Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.

Ephesians 4:3 (NLT)

It is good and pleasant when God’s people live together in peace! There the LORD gives his blessing of life....

Psalm 133;1,3 (NCV)

Father, I pray that they can be one.

John 17:21a (NCV)

I opened the door a crack and peered inside. The hall light poured in revealing my youngest son sitting hunched on his lower bunk bed. His sad face showed he had been crying.

It was one-half of a double timeout. His brother sat on another bed in another room.

Some would dismiss their behavior as simply two brothers interacting in their own way, merely a minor disturbance, but I think not.

One boy seems to do things to get attention, the other responds abusively without thinking. In the process, I see a great similarity with what goes on in the Church. And how the enemies of Christ must love that!

This is not what Christ envisions for us—bickering, taunting, fighting. No. We should do all we can to get, keep and preserve unity—the peace that comes from putting someone else’s needs ahead of our own—to keep us on track, to further the Kingdom of God, to bring Him greater glory.

And what of my two boys? We had a good talk and they apologized, but then something else happened. Thinking I was out of earshot, the older brother apologized again to the younger then added his words of encouragement as an added blessing. Encouraging words, by the way, happen to be his love language. Well, later that evening the youngest offered his own gift: a hand written note along with a colorful, comfortable pillow of his—one of his favorites. And guess what? Like me, giving gifts just happens to be his primary love language!

Whether they knew it or not, they had given me hope and encouragement, and for all of us … a lesson to note and apply.

Father, help us follow Christ’s example. Help us to live in peace—one in the bond of love. Amen.