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As Lamia and I were seating in her living room discussing the Bible Study she was now leading in her home and how she was looking forward to traveling with some of the women to a couple of European countries to testify of how God was using them (as refugees) to transform their host country, I was humbling touched.
Through our conversation, I could not help but remember the first time we had visited her home ten years prior and the first impression I had of her. She was hospitable and had a spirit hungry to learn about God. She was wearing a veil, as required by the culture, but what made her unique was her makeup; her eyes were particularly heavily accentuated by a thick black eyeliner, which gave her an elongated foxy eye look.
Back then, as fresh new believers, she and her husband and three daughters were being discipled to be bold in sharing their faith. Visit after visit, they were being encouraged and strengthened to abide in the Lord. By the grace of God, years later, much fruit was evident—there had been numerous salvations, baptisms, and disciples whom they were now training to become disciple makers. Once a month, we (the foreigners) would unite with them (the locals) to sing praises, worship the Lord, and pray.
Now, here we were in her living room, encouraging one another in the Lord, as we looked back at all that God had done over the years, planning, and dreaming of upcoming events to bring the Body (composed of locals and foreigners) to continue to meet, prayerwalk, and disciple, so we would continue to be a light in the 10/40 region.
Before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed to His Heavenly Father, in John 17:11, that we would be one, as He said: “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” (NIV) I believe this is what He envisioned that people of different backgrounds, different cultures, (and in our case different countries) would be united in Christ and stand together to worship, pray and believe God together (as we were doing), so His kingdom would advance to the glory of God.
Let us not miss what the Lord is doing in our midst. Wherever you are planted, the Lord is calling you to not only be a light that is set upon a hill that cannot be hidden, to bear witness of who He is, but You are also called to rise up to the occasion to foster a spirit of love, peace and unity within the Body of Christ. In this way the world may believe that Jesus was sent by God. Actively stand for unity in the Body of Christ!
What are some proactive steps I can take to bolster unity in the Body of Christ (Church)?
Here are 5 proactive steps I can take to bolster unity in the Body.
1/ Be humble and submitted to God
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” - James 4:1-10 (NIV)
2/ Tame my tongue
“Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.” - Psalm 34:12-13 (NIV)
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” - Proverbs 10:11 (NIV)
“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” - Proverbs 10:19 (NIV)
3/ Let my conversation be full of grace
We need to avoid gossiping, backbiting, slandering people, as the word of God call us to let our conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that we may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:6)
4/ Pray for those in authority in my church
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” - 1 Timothy 2:1–4 (NIV)
5/ Serve others
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV)