Unity

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in Unity! – Psalm 133:1

Unity is one of the most widely used yet least applied or understood words in the body of Christ.  Most people do not understand its true meaning let alone how important it is.  Without unity, God cannot command a blessing. Without unity the world will not know that Jesus was sent and without unity there cannot be real marketplace transformation.

A pastor friend of mine commented on a difference he recently noticed between the business world and the body of Christ. While business people will argue over contracts and terms, at the end of the day it’s never personal – just business.  Leaving the table as friends, they grab a cup of coffee together.

Sadly, this is most often not the case within the body of Christ. Sometimes, we leave the church or quit a ministry because of petty disagreements. In the worst case scenario, churches split – simply because our love for Jesus and one another is not as compelling as the business man’s love for money.

It is sad that we bring this spirit of petty divisiveness with us from the church into the marketplace.  When will our love for the Lord and each other be greater than our disagreements?

Unity is an unbroken chain forged from our love for Christ and an unconditional love towards one another.  If the goal of kingdom business is truly to fulfill the Great Commission, then it cannot be realized without unity.  The Great Commission won’t be realized by building a big business, amassing more money or garnering political influence. The world has all that.  If big business, more money and political influence are evidence of godliness, then Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet and Donald Trump are on their way to heaven.  These factors are not the keys to our success. They are important but not the most essential elements.  Without unity, they are empty and meaningless; they make us kings of our own castle but do not necessarily bring us closer together.

As long as the world sees a divided kingdom they will not know that the Gospel we preach is any different than great philosophies, or other religions.  That is why Jesus prayed in John 17:20-22 that the Father will make us one just as He and the Father are one so the world will know that He was sent.  This is the key to the Great Commission and marketplace transformation; if the world does not believe that Jesus was sent they will not believe that He is the Son of God. When you look at the transformation happening in the book of Acts it was due in part to the oneness of the early church (Acts 2:1, 44, Acts 4:32). What has happened to that oneness?  Why do we pursue power, money and influence at the expense of the very thing that can bring the sinner to repentance?

We are all guilty and I’m the chief of them.  We forsake basic relationships to get ‘more.’ We will not work together because we are ‘different.’ Some have even left spouses when ministry called because those spouses were perceived as a hindrance to God’s work.  Do we really believe that God is blessing our hypocrisy?  Jesus himself said that before you give Me any gifts, you must first be reconciled with your brother (Matthew 5:23).

If we truly desire to see God transform the marketplace, we must be committed to the oneness Jesus prayed for.  We must fully allow our love for Christ and our unconditional love for each other to create that unbroken chain that will bind us together.

How do we create this unity?

1. Repent for our lack of unity
2. Cultivate our personal relationship with Jesus
3. Confess our sins one to another
4. Forgive one another
5. Stop competing with and complete one another
6. Lay down our lives for each other
7. Wash each other’s feet (serve one another)

Who are you holding a grudge against?  Has business brought division between you and your mate?  Who are you competing with?  Whose success have you not celebrated?  Whom have you withheld help from due to envy, jealousy or judgment?   It is the desire of our King that we be one – so commit to walking in unity and confront your attitude toward your brother or sister so you may enjoy the blessing that He will command. Those around you will know that He was sent by the Father to save us from our sins.