How to Promote Unity in a Divided Church
1 Corinthians 12:25-26, "that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."
The struggles of this year have led to friendships ending, churches dividing and much more turmoil. As a nation and the Church, we are hurting, and everyone is feeling the consequences of strife from the Covid Virus and all the political bickering. It is impossible to serve God to the best of our abilities while we are divided from each other. When we are caught up in our quarrels, it distracts from our true purpose of seeking first the Kingdom of God.
As we pursue godliness and a closer relationship with the Lord, one of the chief ways we can begin achieving both is by helping the Christian community unite.
Here are a few ways to promote unity among our fellow Believers and help our churches come together.
Encourage Each Other
Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
The negativity surrounding us can be daunting. The media, our workplace and even our homes have become overrun by the cynical ways of the world and all the division promoted by politics and the media. When we come together as a Christian family, it should be a place of love and support, not hatefulness and conflict. Some small yet significant ways to start in spreading the love of Christ are sending a thoughtful card, cooking a meal for someone going through a tough time or even just offering a short prayer over a loved one, reminding someone who is hurting their importance to you and the Church as a whole.
Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to grow weary of doing good. But as we all know, there are some days where staying strong of our own accord feels like too much to bear. While Satan continues to try and tear us down, it is our job to continue to build each other up through our words and actions.
Be Prayerful
James 5:16, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Prayer is one of the greatest tools God gave us both for talking to the Father and for interceding for one another. We are told throughout the Bible to pray for everyone: our fellow Christians, our leaders and even our enemies. In a divided world, we need to pray for the healing of what's broken, whether personally or as a nation.
If we aren’t praying as much as we are complaining or gossiping, then we are contributing to a larger problem.
Remember Whom We Represent
1 Peter 2:21, "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps…"
Christ treated everyone the same, with equal love, compassion and understanding. Even in His dying breath, Jesus asked God to forgive the very people that were crucifying him, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Are we not called to be imitators of Christ? Unlike the people who were crucifying Jesus, we know what we are doing when we mistreat those who have different views and opinions from us. We are children of God, so we should love everyone in the way that Jesus has modeled for us.
Philippians 3:20, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
While the world may be divided for a long time to come, as Christians, we can find comfort in the fact that this world is not our home. As the body of Christ, let us maintain unity as a Church (being representatives of Jesus Christ) among our top priorities as we seek to honor God in all that we do and be a light to a very broken world.