Unity

Lately the word unity has come up in different devotionals and sermons I have heard preached.  Right now our pastor is going through John and the pastor has begun to teach on John 17: 1-25.

One thing I noticed is how often the words “oneness” and “unity” are used.  Now this makes me want to run to my dictionary and look up those words just to see what they mean.  So bear with me as I look for the definition.

Unity (noun) - the state of being united or joined as a whole: the state of forming a complete and pleasing whole.

Oneness (noun) - state of being unified or whole, though comprised of two or more parts.

These definitions pretty much sum up what I think Jesus is talking about.  In unity we are “whole”. When the Church behaves as “one” we are whole.

I am sure you might be asking yourself “How can I be united with HER/HIM!!!  I really do not like this person.”  If you read in John 17 you will not see anything about liking anyone because unity is not about us it is about God.  For us to show unity to the unbelieving world we have to remember  who we are serving and be willing to put aside any and all differences for the common goal which is spreading the Gospel.  I think a good example of this is in Phil 4: 2. The apostle Paul is pleading with two ladies to “agree with each other in the Lord.”  When done they can go to there respective homes and have nothing to do with each other (until they need to agree in the Lord again.  In other words be able to work side by side for God)

In the unity definition I like the second one best because it speaks of being pleasing whole. That makes me happy because I know I am “whole” because I have that unity of Jesus and God IN me and I have the unity of being whole with followers of Christ.

Listened and heard

I was reading my devotional today and it used the scripture Malachi 3:16.

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. - (Malachi 3:16)

The author focused on "listened and heard" which he said means to bend down so as to not miss a single word.   This is like when a child speaks to an adult most times the adult will bend down so they can listen and hear what the child is saying. We are Gods children so when we talk to or about God (or anything else) He bends down, He listens and we are heard!  That is exciting to me because I spent too many years feeling like not one ever heard me.  I felt like I could say anything and no one seemed to hear me. So to know that not only does God listen He HEARS me.

This brought so much comfort I just had to share!