As a child of God, you and I are part of the Kingdom of Heaven. Each of us has talents, passions, and wisdom to offer the Kingdom (Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11, 12), but we must work together to be successful. For example, a team can have a player with phenomenal talent, but if the athlete does not function in unity with other members of the team, winning becomes a lot more difficult, if not impossible. Dr. Tony Evans writes, “One of the elements of God’s rule is His heart for oneness, also known as unity. Unity can be defined in its simplest of terms as oneness of purpose. It is working together in harmony toward a shared vision and goal.”

For believers to operate in unity and to remain in unity, there are three Biblical principles we must apply to our lives.

1. We are commanded to live in unity with one another (Ephesians 4:3)

2. We must recognize the value of others (Romans 12:4; 1 Corinthians 12:21; 1 Corinthians 12:24)

Contrary to the world, God does not have superstars (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). Each member of His Kingdom is equipped by the power of the Holy Spirit living in them for the work of the Kingdom. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “The eye cannot say to the hand ‘I do not need you’ and the head cannot say to the feet ‘I do not need you’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.  And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment” (1 Corinthians 12:21-24).

3. We must focus on the real enemy (Ephesians 6:12)

The enemy of our souls thoroughly enjoys causing strife in God’s Kingdom. He recognizes a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25). He has spent centuries perfecting his tactics to sow discord and disharmony among the children of God. If we wish to combat his wicked scheme, we must first realize our battle is not against our brother or sister in Christ, but against “the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). When the temptation to separate yourself from a fellow Christian arises, take a moment and seek God and His direction. It may just be the enemy causing strife and confusion.

Reflection:

• What does unity mean to you? Is it a priority in your life as you work with other believers?
• What has the enemy done recently to sow discord and disunity in your life? How long did it take you to realize it was him?
• How do you handle disunity with fellow Christians? Do you pray or confront? Do you seek God or seek conflict?