U N I T Y & T H E WOR D N O G O D D O E S N ’ T W O R K I N A S E R I E S O F Y E S , U P O N Y E S , U P O N E A S Y A N D E A S I E R S T R E E T S . Y O U M U S T C H A S E A F T E R H I S PAT H , W O R K H A R D T O S T AY O N I T , A N D N O T A L L O W T H E D A R K N E S S T O S WA L L O W Y O U R V I S I O N A N D C A U S E Y O U T O L O S E S I G H T. B Y L A U R E N P R A T H E R
No. Two simple letters when combined put a halt to your dreams, a cease in your progress, and a screeching stop in your tracks. As a follower of Christ, I have learned to trust His plan, and know that a no can mean not yet, or something even better. Yet hearing it from a fellow brother or sister in Christ brings forth an alternate avenue of trusting God. Bringing His children together combines a vast amount of unique human creation. To gather His children not only exposes His glory, but also exposes where the devil is at play. Fears emerge, mistrust is rampant, and following your own path is prevalent. Taking hands and walking together seems highly unlikely when so much uniqueness is combined. Having a difference of opinion with a brother or sister in Christ is yet another avenue to let His glory shine. To not see Jesus in someone if they have a different vision than you, or they’re telling you something you don’t want to hear, is only letting the devil win. God doesn’t work in a series of yes, upon yes, upon easy and easier streets. You must chase after His path, work hard to stay on it, and not allow the darkness to swallow your vision and cause you to lose sight. The bible doesn’t promise us our own path. It promises one path. We will intersect on this journey. To love despite disagreement is to see God in a new way. Love is what we were created from. Scripture consistently reminds us that we are all one body, with many parts. “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one bodywhether Jew or Gentiles, slave or freeand we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:1213 We were not made to be working against each other. Our Spirit is shared through the love that God had when creating us. We can feed in to that love in one another by walking together in harmony. Disagreements will most certainly happen, but how we nurture that disagreement depends on what Spirit you will feed. When I see the Sun and the Moon dance around each other, creating one new day on to the next, I cannot help but think that the same God that created them to work in perfect harmony, also created His children. Us. We were made to feed each other’s spirits, to unify His love in one another.