"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love, by our love
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love, by our love
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
Love is patient, love is kind
Never boasts, not full of pride
Always hopes, always trusts
The evidence of Christ in us" - peter scholtes
you can listen to the song at:
this song has been on my heart a lot lately because it speaks about the power of unity.
one thing i have noticed (especially in my own life) is that Christians, especially those in middle and high school, struggle with feelings of isolation. i have felt like the only Christian around so many times. i remember a period in my life when i literally came home broken on a daily basis because i felt so isolated from friends (especially Christian brothers and sisters). i could be surrounded by my entire student body, and still feel completely alone. not only that, but, during this particular time, i felt so unloved by the majority of those around me because no one really made an effort to know me. i spent almost a year's worth of weekends alone (for someone like me, it was like being smothered). with the exception of two godly people from school, i was the only Christian i knew my age. i kept asking the Lord for help, calling on His name for friendship, for fellow Christians who knew His love. and, as always, He followed through. the Lord provided me with friends. but, not from where i expected. He gave me friendship not with those from school, but, it seemed, everywhere else. within a matter of months, i had plenty of friends, but the vast majority of them were from other schools, counties, and churches from all over the athens area. i can't express the amount of praise He deserves for the gift of companionship that He gives to us. but, after a while, i began to ask Him "why are they all so different, and why are they all so spread out?" a couple of months ago, i received my answer. i was listening to a sermon, and the pastor was speaking on life visions. i was reminded of a calling i had felt when i lived in atlanta. i had felt like the Lord had been telling me how the Church in different nations, states, and cities, is utterly connected. if we strengthen one of our brothers or sisters, we help him encourage and strengthen all of those he knows, and the wave keeps spreading until the Church, from America to Asia, has been blessed in some way, shape or form. it matters not how much, for even the littlest acts of brotherhood can make the difference in a person's life, and big actions are only a visible result of all of the small ones. i felt like i was being told about this same theme again. only this time, the Lord reminded me of how i felt when i had been alone. i realize now that's why He allowed for all of that time in isolation to happen; in it, He taught me the power of His love and faithfulness, but also, how, as Christians, we cannot allow our brothers and sisters to stand alone. we must have unity.
the Christian life was not meant to be lived out alone. before the crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples,
"34
Jesus tells His disciples that our love for one another will prove that we are truly His. what would it look like if every Christian in the world had dozens of godly people they could turn to? the girl who's family is going through a divorce would never have to cry alone; the boy who's struggling with addiction could find friends who'd support him through his pain; the list goes on and on. what this goes back to is the idea that, in the end of ends, most people will not draw to or turn away from God because of logical thought, brilliant theology, pretty songs, or catchy bumper stickers. the majority of the people in the world will determine whether or not they want Christ's love by how well of an example we set. in the end, our actions will speak out either for the falsehood of religion, or the passion and truth of His power in a life. and one of the greatest ways in which our example will shine His glory is through our treatment of each other.
if all Christians truly have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside each of us, we have a connection that is greater than any hobby, pastime, job, or culture that normally bring people together. we should all be utterly connected to each other not just in mind or body, but in His Spirit. it should be a passion that goes beyond our backgrounds, worldly pleasures, or cares. that's why we call each other "brothers" and "sisters" in Christ. and that's exactly what it should be. a bond that goes beyond any other. i have heard it said by others when asked to spend time with a brother or a sister "it's not like we could be best friends or something. we have nothing in common." but the beautiful truth of the matter is that, if we are brothers and sisters in Christ, we have everything in common because, God is everything!
one of the coolest things i have found about going on mission trips outside of the country is that you get to find other brothers and sisters, in completely different cultures, with completely different economic, educational, and social backgrounds who share the same God as you. no matter how different we were, i found that if i could speak to them of nothing else, i could always speak to them about the Lord. and we always had the same things to say: "He's been faithful, He's so good, His love is so powerful". and the craziest part was that i felt in so many ways closer to these people, who were, in all ways but One completely unrelated to me, than to almost all of the people i meet on a normal basis who are like me in every way but that One. their spirits were mingled with the same love that mine was, and that broke down any lesser barrier.
one of the names the Hebrews called the Lord by was "Jehovah-Nissi" which means, the "Lord our banner". and that's what He is to His people. He is a banner that we all can rally under. if you have Christians around you that you don't know well, reach out to them regardless of who they are to the world. it is who they are to Christ that matters. don't worry about feeling weird or not knowing what to say, just pray for words to come and God will be faithful. you never know what another person is going through unless they tell you, and you never know what relationships God will choose to grow. if you're going through a time of isolation, remember how much He loves you. He'll bring you through the storms. God bless and i'm praying for you!
"In that day the heir to David’s throne (Jesus) will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where He lives will be a glorious place." - isaiah 11:10
"5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did." - 1 john 2: 5-6
"My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!" - 1 john 4:11
"And that's about it, friends. Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure. Greet one another with a holy embrace. All the brothers and sisters here say hello. " - 2 corinthians 13:11
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