John 17:20-23 tells us the following:
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Rick Warren writes: If you’re a Christian, part of your job description is to build up other Christians. If you’re not doing that, you’re not fulfilling part of your job description. It is our responsibility. Jesus didn’t please Himself. If you want to be like Christ, then you need to put the needs of others ahead of your own and be a servant.
Ron Edmondson writes: The challenge wasn’t discovering the problem, however, it was in finding solutions. The church needed to come together if there was any hope to move forward and realize all the opportunities God was sending their way.
It is easy to blame others when things around us are not going as well as we would like; however, we can only control so much in a divided world and a world that contains good and evil. Collectively can take steps to counter the disunification, at least start in small ways. If everyone started with small steps and took on personal responsibility for themselves, it is not impossible to one day reach a level of unification that God would be extra proud of within His children. Here are a few things you as an individual can do to help promote unity.
- Start a respectful conversation and define the term unity
- Focus on your vision for unity
- Identify common ground within your small groups
- Study biblical passages that command unity
- Share your studies with your pastor and ask questions
- Inspire others to share your vision, one step at a time
- Building each other up
- Plan a group activity, small or large
- Recognizing the value of every person
- Limiting out liberty out of love for each other
- Do not force opinions on others
- Live by faith
- Do not make unity emotional, make it factual
- Actions of unity are from God and His Word
- Love and forgive
- Do not follow people, follow God and unity will surface