Romans 15:1-6
Take a minute to picture this: it’s no longer a winter wonderland and you’re in the middle of a lake. It’s a blazing hot summer day and you are with your best friend on a canoe. You’re both rowing perfectly in sync and the boat is seamlessly gliding down the river. But then, a bee starts buzzing near your head and you begin to swat it away. Oh no! Your rowing is out of sync and the canoe begins to turn toward the edge of the water. The bee continues to buzz in your ear. You stand up and begin swatting like crazy. Oops! The canoe tips over. Both you and your friend are in the water. Your friend lost their favorite sunglasses in the water and is soaking wet. Your friend begins to yell at you and is angry the rest of the trip. Your simple and fun canoe trip turned into a mess the minute you let a distraction cause you to be out of sync.
That is a silly comparison, but it is the reality of church unity. We can get so distracted by semantics, details, gossip, programming, frustrations and new changes; that we step out of unity with our brothers and sisters of Christ. We begin to let our preferences and selfish desires override the general vision and mission of the church. When one track is off, the entire train gets derailed. In Romans 15:1-6, we see that Paul begins with the warning to not please ourselves, but to serve others. In his letter, he encourages us to build one another up. In verse 5-6, he paints the perfect picture of what the church should look like; that we should live in such harmony with each other and with Jesus, that we use one voice to glorify God.
Paul warned us that to walk in unity, we must humbly serve one another. We must lay down our own desires and needs to help those around us. This takes sacrifice! We can look at Jesus as the main example of this. Jesus’ ministry on earth was always focused on serving and helping others.
You may be really good at serving others, but Paul’s wisdom doesn’t end there. We also must be careful to not let distractions disrupt our harmony. This includes gossip, questioning leadership, a disagreement about a decision, a frustration with a brother/sister, sin against each other, not liking the way a program is run; the list goes on. If we shift our eyes to focus on those distractions, we are no longer rowing in sync. Those things can be important to address, but if they become your main focus, it can cause disunity. The reality is that it is going to take a lot longer to get to our destination; to accomplish our mission as a church, if we are not moving as one.
Let this serve as a reminder and an encouragement that YOU are a part of the church. YOU are needed here! YOU are a part of The Great Commission. YOU have been blessed with gifts to serve the Lord. As a church, we are Gospel focused and have to remember that is our mission; our destination. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus and remember to walk in unity!
That is a silly comparison, but it is the reality of church unity. We can get so distracted by semantics, details, gossip, programming, frustrations and new changes; that we step out of unity with our brothers and sisters of Christ. We begin to let our preferences and selfish desires override the general vision and mission of the church. When one track is off, the entire train gets derailed. In Romans 15:1-6, we see that Paul begins with the warning to not please ourselves, but to serve others. In his letter, he encourages us to build one another up. In verse 5-6, he paints the perfect picture of what the church should look like; that we should live in such harmony with each other and with Jesus, that we use one voice to glorify God.
Paul warned us that to walk in unity, we must humbly serve one another. We must lay down our own desires and needs to help those around us. This takes sacrifice! We can look at Jesus as the main example of this. Jesus’ ministry on earth was always focused on serving and helping others.
You may be really good at serving others, but Paul’s wisdom doesn’t end there. We also must be careful to not let distractions disrupt our harmony. This includes gossip, questioning leadership, a disagreement about a decision, a frustration with a brother/sister, sin against each other, not liking the way a program is run; the list goes on. If we shift our eyes to focus on those distractions, we are no longer rowing in sync. Those things can be important to address, but if they become your main focus, it can cause disunity. The reality is that it is going to take a lot longer to get to our destination; to accomplish our mission as a church, if we are not moving as one.
Let this serve as a reminder and an encouragement that YOU are a part of the church. YOU are needed here! YOU are a part of The Great Commission. YOU have been blessed with gifts to serve the Lord. As a church, we are Gospel focused and have to remember that is our mission; our destination. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus and remember to walk in unity!
Posted in Devotional