Jump Start # 427 

Psalms 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”

  Unity—it’s essential in marriage and it’s essential in a congregation. A person can tell when unity is missing, you can just feel it. The stares, the little digs, the tension, everyone seems to be on edge—when unity is missing it makes for a very uncomfortable situation. When unity is missing at home, the atmosphere is very icy. When it’s missing among brethren, folks avoid each other.

  This Psalm of David defines the joys of unity. He describes unity as a pleasant and refreshing experience, much like dew upon the grass in the mornings, or oil being poured upon a beard. What David doesn’t write is how to get unified and how to maintain unity. It’s not easy. Different ideas and ideology, different needs, different priorities, different backgrounds, and even different levels of knowledge and experience all affect unity.

  The Ephesians were told to be “diligent to preserve” the unity. The platform Paul gave them was the “Oneness” section: one Lord, one God, one Spirit, one Body, one Faith, one Baptism and one Hope. There’s just ONE, not two. If each person continued to walk in these things and stayed with these things, then a foundation of unity would exist.

  God told Adam and Eve that the two shall become “one” flesh. This speaks of the intimacy of marriage. It also speaks of the union of heart, mind, goals, and emotions of marriage. There is a difference between a “moment” of oneness and a lifetime of “oneness.” The difference is based upon the heart and the intentions involved.

 Throughout the N.T. expressions such as One mind, One voice, One spirit are used to describe the unity of brethren. They became “ONE.”

  Satan doesn’t like us to be one. We get things done when we are one. We turn our attention to the work we should be doing when we are one. Together, with Jesus, we are powerful. Together, with Jesus, much good can be accomplished for the kingdom. The death of unity is individualism. That’s a fancy word for “selfishness.” When that enters a marriage, things start to come apart. We think about my feelings…what I want…what about ME. When two people are talking that way, the marriage is headed for some serious troubles.

  Among brethren the same happens. When start injecting my ways, my opinions, what I want, we soon begin to pull apart, having not one mind, but several, speaking not one voice, but many.

  The key to all unity is Christ. Our Lord defined discipleship as a person, “denying themselves, taking up the cross daily and following Him.” That’s it. That works. It will work in a marriage and it will work in a church. Less of me and more of Christ. What’s best for the marriage…what’s best for the church. And what’s best is to glorify God. That’s the answer. That’s what should come first in our thinking.

  Unity is awesome. I love the hugs and the smiles—whether at home or among brethren at the church house. We have to work at unity. It has to be maintained. Sometimes we need some oil here and some tightening over there to keep the engine running smoothly. Spiritually, sometimes we need some times to rejoice in the good that we have, to count our blessings. Other times, we need some instructions or even warnings, to keep us hitting on all cylinders. The biggest factor in all of this is us. What am I doing about it? What am I doing in my marriage? What am I doing as a member of the congregation? How am I being diligent to maintain things? Do I? Or do I throw sand in the machinery by complaining and whining? Unity is taught in the pulpit but it is expressed in the pew. Do you find yourself avoiding certain people? How come? Is that right? Are you mending broken feelings? Are you helping the unity?

  This is where Paul took the lessons with the Ephesians. Unity is personal. It’s what we each do. This is why we need to remember these things. Unity comes down to: you need me and I need you and we all need Jesus! That’s just the way it is!

Roger