How
You Can Promote Unity in the Body
My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have
informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this:
One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another,
“I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were
you baptized in the name of Paul? - 1 Corinthians 1:11-13
A man and his wife were walking through a park in Miami one
afternoon when they saw a Cuban family enjoying a picnic. The family was
tossing scraps of bread to a raccoon and saying repeatedly, “Oye, chico, ven aca” (Come here,
boy!).
The man thought for a moment and laughed. He confessed to his
wife that his first reaction was, “That’s silly. Raccoons don’t speak Spanish!”
Whatever our background, it’s our nature to see the world
through our own experiences. This can sometimes create a problem when
well-meaning people from different backgrounds try to resolve conflict, each
carrying his or her own assumptions for how the world “should” work.
When we look at much of the disunity in our churches today, this
has been the crux of the issue: People from different ages, races, and
backgrounds come together with their own ideas of how Christianity works. But
the truth is that these ideas are just that… ideas. They’re preferences based
on our own life experiences.
To have unity in our churches, we as members must submit our
preferences to a simple question: What is the best way to carry out the Great
Commandment of loving God and loving people? So instead of just fighting for
what seems right to you, question your own assumptions and be part of the
conversation for how to move forward in unity!
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to help you see your opinions on non-biblical matters as
secondary to unity in the Body of Christ.
Questions for Thought
Think of a time when a disagreement arose with another believer
over a non-biblical matter. What happened?
How might having a unity-focused perspective on your own
opinions help you the next time you encounter a conflict like that?