Unity Ingredients

Luke 10: ¹⁶ Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.¹⁸ If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. ¹⁹ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹ When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. ²² But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. ²³ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

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“I don’t like that music” I said to myself so I avoided gatherings that played certain types of music and gravitated to what “I” liked. “I don’t like that food” I said again to myself so I would travel to places to get something “I” like to eat. I wasn’t avoiding people. I mean “I” just like what I like.

• There have been times when I sought “my” space.
• There have been times when I wanted what “I” wanted.
• There have been times when I sought crowds that liked what “I” liked.

The crowd saw JESUS cast out demons and healing mute people but they still called HIM “the devil.” JESUS explains that it does not make sense to heal someone if HE were trying to ruin the person. The premise of the kingdom would fall. HE then explains that HIS kingdom requires unity.

• GOD wants me to seek HIS kingdom by seeking unity.
• GOD wants me to be “with” people instead of criticizing the differences.
• GOD wants me to bring people to HIM which may require me to like more things than I am used to.

Unity is hard when I am selfish. I lose my patience and ask “What about me?” I mean why don’t “they” want to unite with “me?” BUT GOD sees through that and builds me up to mess up and try again. Unity requires patience for which I sometimes have little. It requires variety, encouragement and plans to prosper those who do not look or act like me.

Giving myself away for others is a sacrifice GOD helps me with daily. In my mind “they” may be selfish or even rotten. BUT GOD sees them as wonderful. GOD wants me to be “with” the selfish and rotten to show HIS grace to a variety of people who do not deserve it. Maybe in the rotten selfish crowd, there may be someone who can even reach a rotten selfish person like me.

• Are you divisive?
• Do you spread unity or poison to “your” crowd?
• Are you so focused on “winning” that you side with people quickly?
• Will you stop trying to “win” and seek the unity that GOD wants you to have today?