UNITY FOR GROWTH

            My Pastor said something this past Sunday that got me thinking….  He said that “there must be unity to grow.”  I know that on the surface this statement is pretty normal and self-explanatory, but in an instant God showed me something.  Now admittedly, my brain works differently than other people’s brains, and I’ll daresay MOST people.
After Pastor said that, I got a picture in my head of a plant, a seedling.  Different parts of it decided that they were not going to grow “here” where they were planted and others were arguing about what type of plant they should be, and still others were wondering if they shouldn’t just stay underground for a bit longer. (I told you that my mind works differently).  I thought about the absurdity of that for just a second…a plant arguing with itself.  Obviously there was very little growth – there was no unity of purpose, no singleness of vision.
When I was driving to church to drop my husband off for the men’s Bible study on the Tuesday after, God again spoke to me and gave me a mental picture.  I got a picture of a body, but different body parts were larger than they should have been in proportion, some were arguing that they wanted to be the BEST of all the other body parts.  For example, I saw a very large index finger on a regular sized hand.  The index finger was boasting of its size and importance, but the hand itself was having trouble functioning as a hand.  God said, “That’s how it is in My body.  Different parts of My body are arguing about being the best and grandest…and as a result, My body cannot function properly.”
Remember the starting statement, “there must be unity to grow.”  What God was telling me, I believe was about the corporate Body of Christ – all the churches throughout the world who are preaching Jesus as the only way to the Father – but I also believe that He was alluding to the local Body as well.  If part of the church wants to be a missionary church and be missionary focused, while another part of the church wants to focus solely on its own members’ needs, while still another part thinks that the church should concentrate on raising up new Christian music artists and be musically minded… well there’s not much unity happening, so I’ll make a guess that they are not going to grow very much (either in number or Spiritually).
When driving to church that Tuesday, God also reminded me of some Scripture that I knew.  He said to me, “That’s why I said it was unwise to compare yourselves amongst yourselves.  And why you must strive to live in peace with all men.”
2 Corinthians 10:12b- But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point. THE MESSAGE
2 Corinthians 10:12b -measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not intelligent. Darby
2 Corinthians 13:11- Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. NIV
Heb 12:14- Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. NIV
If your church is constantly comparing itself to other churches and either thinking they are better than that “other” church, or finding themselves coming up short in the comparison, then you’re focusing on the wrong thing.  Similarly, if you as a member of your church are constantly comparing yourself to others in your church, your focus is misaligned.
Seek God and find His purpose for you, and never mind what so-and-so is doing.  Pray for them that they find their way as well.  Remember that you don’t have all the answers, but stay close to the One who does.  It’s ALL about relationship.  Have a good one with God first, strive to have a good one with as many other people as you possibly can, and be wary of any competition.
Remember that unity must be present for growth.  Singleness of purpose, yet with the unique diversity that is present in all humanity.  God doesn’t want robots, He wants a vibrant relationship that grows and changes from glory to glory. 
2 Tim 2:14- Remind [the people] of these facts and [solemnly] charge them in the presence of the Lord to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good but upsets and undermines the faith of the hearers. AMP
2 Tim 2:14- Remind everyone of these things, and command them in God's name to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.  NLT
James 4:1-3- What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. NIV
James 4:1-2- Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. 2 You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.  You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? THE MESSAGE

Submitted by Angie Kovarovic