unity

There are some days when I look around at the people of our community - in their cars, at the store, with their kids, at work, and I ask God: what is it really going to take to see people come to Christ? How is it supposed to happen, when will it happen, and how can God use me to redirect souls from hell-bound to become heaven-bound? Sometimes God gives me little glimpses of what it looks like to see lives transformed by the Grace of Jesus. And sometimes I get discouraged because it feels like soul winning is harder, more complicated, longer, and more painful than moving a 20-foot hill of sand with tweezers.

That's why when I read in the Bible about how the world will recognize God, or come to the saving knowledge of Christ, I zoom in on those verses and want to figure out exactly how I can use those principles in a relevant way in my generation. Check this out:


"The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.
Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me. "
- John 17:22-23 (The Message - emphasis added)

When you think of the Church, as in the grand-scale body of Christ, does your mental picture resemble this passage? How about your local community of churches? How about our own church, Crossroads? If if doesn't, perhaps this is why we are not seeing the harvest we so long for in our hearts.

So what? What can we do? What can I do? What can you do?

How about cooperating with Jesus' prayer. He prayed (aloud, mind you) that we would be JUST AS UNIFIED AS HE AND THE FATHER ARE UNIFIED. Wow. It doesn't seem possible. Could we really be that submitted to one another? Could we truly work together that well? Could we honestly all be on the same page when it comes to loving one another? If we did, would the world change it's mind about the church, about Jesus, about Christians? Would they stop referring to us as hypocritical, judgemental, and mean? If we were actually unified and loving toward one another? Wow. Maybe. Just maybe Jesus' prayer could be answered for our unity and then our prayer could be answered for revival. I'll do my part. Maybe we all will. Maybe that sand hill won't seem so endless when we all work together.