It was a difficult week in our ministry center. Frustration between staff members boiled over into shouting, accusations, and hurt feelings. Rank was pulled and past issues dredged up. Gossip started and sides were quickly taken. At any secular business, there would have been reports to HR and someone may have even been fired.

But being on a ministry team is different. It has to be different. We are sisters in Christ, and we should be united in love if we want to have any impact on the hurting world around us.

Unity isn’t accidental. It is something that we must intentionally work toward. Colossians 3:12-14 lays out the path for us.

Once we remember our identity as chosen, set apart, and dearly loved (3:12), we must clothe ourselves in the virtues required for the unity in Christ we need to continue serving together in a God-honoring way (3:13-14). This is what that looked like for our team:

• Compassion: Recognizing that we have a lot of deep, unresolved trauma among our staff.




• Kindness: Refusing to engage in gossip and bringing all conversations into the light.




• Humility: Acknowledging our own role in the conflict.




• Gentleness: Choosing to step back, lower the temperature and continue the conversations when all are ready to speak with grace.




• Patience: Giving one another room to grow in Christ.




• Forgiveness: Extending the same grace Christ gave us, even when it is undeserved.




• Love: The binding force and the only path to true unity.

Unity isn’t always clean or easy, and in the midst of sin, brokenness, and trauma, it’s only possible when we live from our identity in Christ and commit to clothing ourselves in His character.