“Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!”
– Psalm 133:1
We radically underestimate how important unity is to God! The Father and the Son both speak often of the importance of unity in the family, particularly God’s family. Unity is praised in this psalm. This is how God thinks about unity! It’s compared to the precious anointing oil that was poured over the high priest to mark him as holy and devoted to the Lord. Unity sanctifies us, makes us holy and ready for Kingdom service. Unity is also compared to the overflowing blessing of life in the desert represented by water streaming down Israel’s highest mountain.
Unity amongst God’s people is life-giving. It creates holiness and fuels spiritual growth. Unity is a blessing that keeps on blessing in abundance. It nourishes God’s family and bring Him much glory. Disunity, arguing, fighting, gossiping, slandering, grasping for status, battling for power, seizing control, and demanding absolute, rigid agreement on every minor point does the opposite of these things. It damages or destroys us spiritually. It tears God’s family apart. It stunts everyone’s spiritual growth. It makes God look like a fraud to unbelievers. It destroys our witness to the watching world.
Unity amongst Christians was so important that Jesus emphasized it in His prayer on the night He was betrayed. He knew how stubborn, arrogant, and selfish we are. He knew we’d try to tear each other apart in His name. He prayed that we would resist the temptation, but oh how the church has struggled for 20 centuries! In the eyes of Jesus, unity in the church is far more important than we consider it to be. We must stop looking at the importance of unity from our perspective and start looking at it from His perspective. Fight FOR unity, not against it. Battle to honor other believers. Praise and encourage those who unify. Labor to encourage and love others. Build bridges to other believers. Understand what is central and non-negotiable in the faith and where good Christians can live, work, and worship together in love despite differences. #FollowJesus