HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS!

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. Psalm 133

It is a beautiful thing when everyone works together and is unified. We are more joyful, more supported, more productive, and more loving towards one another. Getting to this peaceful place and maintaining it can be difficult. There are so many personalities in a congregation, so many opinions on the best way to do things and how to plan for the future. Add to that the fact that so many people are busy with their own responsibilities in life!

Jesus knew the struggle. He battled division among his own disciples as they argued about who was the greatest. There was the time Mrs. Zebedee asked for her sons, James and John, to sit on thrones on either side of Jesus. That relegated the other indignant disciples to the folding chairs.

So what brings cohesiveness? Only God’s grace in Jesus Christ can accomplish unity among us. At one time we were all strangers outside of the kingdom of God. Jesus brought us into his kingdom through his selfless, innocent suffering and death in our place, paying the penalty of our self-centeredness, arrogance, and hard hearts. God has forgiven us only because of Jesus.

The Word brings us the unity that comes from God’s grace. We put aside our agendas, our selfcenteredness, our need to be first, and we learn from our Savior to love one another. As we grow together into a cohesive unit around his Word, we seek to bring others in as well.

Jesus told his disciples the world would know they were his if they loved one another. People notice it when they walk into church – they can sense the love or lack of love. How important God’s grace is! Hold to his Word. Love one another. As you seek to be hospitable to others, they’ll recognize, “How good and pleasant it is.” May God use unity to open doors for his Word and his love in Christ.