The Sweet Aroma of Unity

Recently my husband and I spent a week in South Carolina, visiting our daughter and her family. While there, we attended a Presbyterian church and heard a very good sermon about the importance of believers being “of one mind.” Philippians 2:2 (Looks like I am back to the unity in Christ theme from April!).

This doesn’t mean we’ll always agree about everything. It does mean that we will meditate on the things that unite us.

“…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

As a member of the body of Christ we receive so many good things –forgiveness, love, acceptance and encouragement for a start. We are able to receive the sacraments, to worship and to work with others who share the common goal of spreading the Gospel. When our minds are filled with gratitude for all that we’ve received, most disagreements with one another will pale.

Early in Philippians we are exhorted to:

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

In other words, we are to put on the mind of Christ, who sacrificed Himself for the good of others, humbly, as a servant. When we imitate Him, we will “shine as lights in the world”(Philippians 2:15b) and the sweet aroma of unity will fill our lives.

For more about unity in Christ see these posts:

Dietrich Bonhoeffer — What it Means to be in Christ as a Community

United with Christ through His Church

Christ-Centered Conflict Resolution by Tony Merida–Book Review

A Prayer for Unity with Christ

O most merciful Jesus, grant to me Thy grace, that it may be with me and labor with me, and persevere with me even to the end.

Grant me always to desire and to will that which is to Thee most acceptable. Let Thy will be mine, and let my will ever follow Thine, and agree perfectly with it. Let my will be one with Thine and let me not be able to will or not to will anything else, but what Thou willest or willest not.

Grant that I may die to all things that are in the world, and for Thy sake love to be condemned and not known in this generation. Grant to me above all things that can be desired to rest in Thee, and in Thee to have my heart at peace. Thou art the true peace of the heart; Thou its only rest; out of Thee all things are hard and restless. In this peace, in this selfsame thing, that is, in Thee, the chiefest eternal good, I will sleep and rest (Psalm 4:8). Amen

From Of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis

For more prayers see:

A Prayer to be Taught by the Holy Spirit

A Prayer for Our Friends

Martin Luther’s Prayer about the Word

A Big Responsibility

Before I retired, I worked for a hospital.  I remember at one of our training meetings, our employer stressed that we, every one of us was the face of Frederick Memorial Hospital to the community.  If we were kind, caring, and helpful, that was how others would see the hospital.  On the other hand if we were rude, careless or disinterested, our workplace would be perceived in a very different way.  Once a person develops a negative opinion about you, it’s very hard to win back their approval.

Reading Leslie’s post yesterday, I realized that being one with Christ carries a big responsibility.  We, the church, the body of Christ, represent Him to the world.  That means, as my husband (a Pastor) keeps telling us, there must be something different about us.  Our actions and attitude must mirror the One we follow.  Otherwise, many will think … what’s the big deal?  Why should I give up my time and money to be part of the church?  Those people are just the same as everyone else.

In the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians we learn something about how we are supposed to convey the presence of Christ to the world:

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  …For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men as sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”  2 Corinthians: 2:14, 17

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual”  1 Corinthians 2:12-13

If we are one with Christ, our words and actions will become more and more like His.  We will be noticeably different because we have His mind and His Spirit within us.  We are His ambassadors, entrusted with sharing His good news with the world.  Are you up for this responsibility?