IN ORDER TO BE UNIFIED WITH OTHERS, RECONCILE TO GOD

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
(Psalm 133:1)

MEDITATION:
Unity is a word that describes togetherness, or oneness;
it’s the opposite of being divided.
It has a peaceful sound, doesn’t it?
However we live in a world of conflict so unity is becoming more of a rarity.

There were times when people would join together for good causes.
But in our world today, it is becoming more and more difficult to find people
who are willing to compromise their selfishness in order to be united.
Of course we should draw a line in the sand whenever oneness means exceeding
God’s boundaries, but it is becoming difficult to find unity within His boundaries.

Even within the church, there are people who get upset
whenever someone sits in the pew where they usually sit.
Instead of embracing a unified praise and worship of the Lord,
some are more concerned about personal preferences.

Even in marriages we see an increase of conflict and ultimately divorce
because two people are not willing to set aside selfishness
in order to unify their relationship as God has ordained.
Marriages today are so fragile that selfishness, emotions, anger, and mistakes
can cause a unified bond to denigrate into a confrontational relationship.

And when that happens, what should be a blissful blessing from God becomes a life
of ‘just existing’, which is devoid of the benefits of unity as described by the psalmist.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (Psalm 133:3)

What is the cause for the absence of unity?
It has to be the influence of Satan, right?
He opposes everything good created by God and disrespects His boundaries.
Consequently, he wants to lure us into the same mindset.

So, what should we do in order to resurrect the lack of unity in our lives?
Since the evil one is the cause of disunity,
then we need to reconcile our relationship with the God of the universe.
Until we reconcile with Him, it will be difficult to reconcile with others.

There is a lot about us that others do not know about, but God knows everything
about us, including the depth of our desire to reconcile our relationship with Him.
Reconciliation with God not only blesses us, but it is vital to our eternal life.
For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through
the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled,
shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:10)

We also have a responsibility of reconciliation, so that God can use us in His ministry.
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: (2 Corinthians 5:18)

When we are ‘in Christ’, we develop a spirit of reconciliation.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
When that happens, we are no longer driven by selfishness
because God has taught us the importance of unity in relationships.

In His Word, He reminds us of the requirements
for improving relationships with others, and ultimately with Him.
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,
if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 2:1-5)

ACTION:
Are you living a life that makes you feel like
you are on an island, disconnected from others?
Maybe you have a relationship with someone that is strained at best.
If so, then maybe it is time for you to be reconciled to God.
If you do nothing, then nothing will improve, and could get worse.

Read again the devotional He sent me to distribute for today,
and meditate on the scriptures included (read them several times
and think about what they are saying specifically to you).
Then pray honestly and fully admitting that you have been lackadaisical
about your relationship with God and His influence on your life.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I admit that I have allowed my relationship with
You to dwindle. I’m not sure how I arrived at this point, but I am not
where I want to be and I know I’m not where You want me to be. I can
only imagine the blessings I have missed as a result of my poor attitude
regarding my relationship with You. Forgive me Lord and help me to
re-reconcile to You.”

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