Monday, December 31, 2012: Philippians 4- Unity is important.

I chose to meditate on verses 2 and 3 because I don’t recall meditating on these verses before. I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Unity is so important that Paul singled out these two women, pleading with them to lay aside their differences and agree with each other for the sake of the body and the Lord.

I tried to imagine this situation in a present day church. I thought of a former pastor or well-respected member who had moved away writing a thank you letter for mission support he or she received. In the midst of the letter s/he pleads with Joan and Patricia to lay aside their differences for the sake of the body! Even more they ask another well-respected person to step in and try to moderate the difference (‘loyal yokefellow’ is certainly someone the community knows and respects).

This is not an insignificant sidebar comment in a ‘thank you’ letter.

My sense is that unity is a BIG deal for Paul and something important for the church as it lives day to day as the body and as it lives as a witness for Jesus in the world.

What price do we pay today for unity? Do we treat unity as important and therefore fight for it, as Paul seems to be doing? Or do we not worry about unity, allowing discord and disagreement flourish among people, even leaders, within the church?

Unity is a more important element of life together in Jesus’ Church than I often give it credit.

Where do I allow unity to remain? How do I negatively impact unity in my church? If I am going to take unity as seriously as Paul, I need to answer questions like these… and so do you.

Lord, I fear I do not have the fervency for unity that You do. Help me to grasp the importance of unity and then to understand what I should do to foster it within my community of faith.

Lord, this is a scary prayer. I will need the passion of David and the wisdom of Solomon to live out my role in protecting and nourishing unity… Help me, Lord, help me. To Your honor and glory, I pray. Amen.