Pursued for Unity

SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READING

Philippians 2:1-11
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in Spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bondservant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NASB)

Relationships with others are crucial to living, aren’t they? And in theory, we all think we are good at relationships, but then people act so, well, “people-y,” and we get off the track of seeking peace with our neighbors. Why are we so bad at unity in our families, our communities, and our nation? These verses in Philippians give us excellent insight. Paul is so straightforward with the church at Philippi; he reminds them that obeying God and finding unity in Jesus Christ are more than just words on a page—they are willful acts.

Unity Building Blocks

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves.” God makes it pretty clear how we should approach humility. A humble attitude is an excellent first step to relational unity. Paul reminds this audience (and us) to be humble and to remember what we were. We were nothing before Christ, and we are nothing without Christ. We are in Jesus Christ, and we need to be humble about that because God chose us. Relational unity means we see each other through the lens of God. He loves us enough to keep choosing us, even when we are prone to wander.

Jesus is the Way to Peace

Another way to seek unity in relationships is to focus on the sole purpose of Jesus Christ. He is our peace. This focus applies to relationships in our homes, workplace, and churches. Sometimes we must work as one to remove the barriers that may be off-putting to others. While politics, legalism, and hot-button topics may be a part of our discussions, they should not be qualifiers for inclusion. Focusing on Jesus Christ and the commission He left for his followers should be the safety net for all our relationships.

Each of us identifies as something—father, mother, coach, friend, or coworker. At any given time, one of those identities may be more salient than the others. When we decided to follow Christ, we took on a new identity. Identity in Jesus Christ should be the one that calls us to be the absolute best versions of ourselves. All our other identities pale in comparison to that. We should be sobered by the amazing miracle of being one with Christ. And our common love for Jesus Christ should allow us to cling to the beauty of sharing life with one another. Our unity depends on it.

At the end of Chapter 1, Paul began to address the topic of unity by rooting it in the gospel. “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” The gospel is God’s answer to division and disunity. The gospel reconciles people to God and to one another. Though we may not be able to unify around every topic and every cause, we ought to be able to unify around the fact that we want others to be saved by our loving Father and to know the amazing relationship we have with Jesus Christ. We can stomp and pout and fuss when things don’t go exactly as we think they should, but if we are helping to lead the lost to God and we are discipling our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should rejoice and be glad in each day and each relationship God has placed in our lives. Allow the gospel to unify the church.

Unity Killers

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition….” No Unity Killers 101 course would be complete without addressing the epidemic of self-serving attitudes. The world in its current state makes it quite easy to be selfish. Social media-era selfies and reality television shows embody the truth that we should serve ourselves before serving others. While no one expects you to reach burnout in your daily walk with Christ, Jesus is asking us to be more concerned with those spiritually and physically less fortunate than we are.

Another killer of unity in relationships is self-righteousness. Our holier-than-thou attitudes can kill trust just about as quickly as lies can. None of us is better than the next; we are all flawed, sinful souls who should be seeking lifelong sanctification through the One who made us. Checking our self-righteous attitudes at the door of any relationship in which we are seeking unity is an excellent practice. “Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Completely humble–that’s where we start to overcome self-righteousness.

Finally, one of the most harmful deterrents to unity in our relationships is pride—be it prideful attitude, prideful ambition, or prideful arrogance. The Bible says pride is a sin (Proverbs 8:13). But what is the root of our pride? For each of us, that answer will vary. We may have an experience with someone which leads us to be less than confident in their behavior. We may lack self-confidence and fear that someone will see us as less than worthy. Why is it so hard to step off our prideful high horse when our feelings are hurt? Because no one enjoys being hurt, and no one wants to knowingly walk into a situation where repeated pain or humiliation is likely. This willful and conscious release of our pride does not mean we forget an abuser’s actions. Instead, this type of overcoming sinful pride is the key to moving us into true unity with those with whom we seek sincere healing and long-term peace. If prideful leanings are plaguing your relationships, please seek the Lord about letting go of the pain or fear enough to heal. We can pray for his strength to recognize our own prideful arrogance and fear of letting others down. When we dry up the roots of pride, unity becomes much more likely to happen.

Pursued for Unity

Relational unity is one of the most critical aspects of this world. The Lord made it clear how crucial it is for us never to stop seeking to be one with our brothers and sisters in Christ and never stop pursuing a relationship with Him. God loves us so much and desires a unified relationship with us. “Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus.” As Christ pursues us for unity, may we do the same with others.