Unity, Not Uniformity
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1) Unity is about loving others despite differences, while uniformity is trying to make everyone the same and expecting people to conform. 2) Uniformity fails as a means to unity because it creates superficial relationships, tries to control others rather than allowing diversity, and increases conflict by having unrealistic expectations of others. 3) To walk in unity with others, we should love people for who they are, make allowances for people's faults, and keep the focus on serving others as Jesus served, rather than our own desires or agendas. When Jesus is central, unity can be achieved despite differences.
Unity, Not Uniformity
- 1. Unity,NOT uniformity Introduction: Inside a“Closed”HighSchool Clique from90’sTV KeyTerms: Unity-People lovingeachotherdespite differencesandissues Uniformity-Peopletryingtobe like everyone else,expectingpeople tobe the same forthemto love them.If people are different,theyare castoff. Thisproblemisrootedinour desire forrelationshipandourdesire foridentity,security,andfulfillment. How uniformityisafailedattemptatunity: 1. It createsa false sense of relationship.Whentwopeopleare onlyfriendsbecause theybothlike Civil WarHistoryfor example,theirrelationshiponlyisdefinedbythat.Whenthingsgettough, theirhouse of cards fallstothe ground. 2. It chopsoff the head.Ittriesto geteveryone toagree or be like somethinginordertohave some sort of unity.Itis a form of control since onlyJesuscanunifyandbring peace.Jesusisthe headof the church,and onlyJesuscan bringtrue unitythroughfaithinHim. 3. It isa formof diabolical control where onesloseswhotheyare forthe sake of the group. Psychologistscall itgroupthink,whereone refusestomentiontheirownideasinfearof the group.Everyone submitstoa headandpeople begintoworshiptheminsteadof God.If people do notthinkor believe the waytheydo,theygetputout. 4. It keepspeoplefromhavinggoodrelationshipsdue toahuge self wall. Whenwe onlythink aboutourselvesandhowpeople canbenefitus,we fall intothe uniformitytrapof only befriendingthose inacertaintheological camp,orwhowearsa certainpairof shoes,orwho likesacertainsportsteam.Sure,God made us all differentandinordertoconnect,there hasto be commonality,butpartof spiritual maturityisbeingable toconnectwithpeople whoare differentthanus.We needtobe careful whowe connectwith,butnot everyone will be intothe same thingswe are intoandbelieve the same way.We needtoembrace diversity,andlove people forwhotheyare,notfor whattheycan give us. 5. It increasesconflict.Whenwe expectpeople tolove uswithoutfault,there isaproblem. Anotherformof uniformityisexpectingeveryone tobe ourbestfriendandlove usperfectly. Whenwe are onlyinrelationshipsunlessthere isaconflict,we will movefromfriendtofriend until we runout of people. Noone willneverletusdownorlove us perfectly. Grow upandlearn to make allowancesforpeople’sfaultsandforgive others. Whenwe tryto getotherpeople to like usand be our friend,itcancreate conflictas well.Whenwe tryto getothersto be like us,it createsconflict. Whenwe expectpeople toserve usandrespectus,it createsconflict.Only throughJesuscan one serve others.
- 2. How to walkinunitywithothers 1. Love people despite differences,socialcircles,etc.Godcallsusto love ourneighborasourselves and Jesusmade itclearby the Good Samaritanillustrationthatitispracticallyanyone.We will not be able to connectwitheveryone,butwe canserve otherswithlove. Despite if we are friends,bestfriends,acquaintances,notfriends,etc,we are to show God’slove tothem.Saved people serve people. 2. Love people forwhoGod made themto be.God doesnotmake us all the same.So appreciate and love everyoneforwhotheyare.Forintimacywithothers,itdoestake commonalityanda commonbond,but love strengthensanyrelationship.There issome uniformitythere,butwe are to love people forwhoGodmade themtobe,insteadof how we want themto be and how theycan be to us. 3. Love people regardlessof conflict anddifferences.Withintimacyandrelationships,therewillbe conflict.Ihave not hada relationshipwhereIdidnothave some conflict.Tensionisnot necessarilyabadthingand howwe handle itdeterminesourmaturityinthisarea.Make allowancesforpeoplesfaultsandonlyexpectGodtolove youunconditionally. Evenif the personisa Calvinist,youstill have tolove them.Evenif they are black,white,Hispanic,Asian, etc,we still have tolove them.Whethertheyare male,female,old,young,rich,poor,we still have to love them.WhethertheylikeWalkingDeadorBreakingBad,love them.Whatever differencestheyhave,rememberthat Godcreatedthemso show honorto themby lovingthem the way Jesuswantsusto love them. Noone is“too different”toenjoyrelationshipswith others.We can all have somethingtoconnectonand show love andcare to them.Remember, love iswhatconnects people,despite difference andsimilarities.Justlove peopleif youwant friends. 4. Love people regardlessof their“issues”.Nothingdestroysunitythangossip,slander,malice, bitterness,etc.Whenyouconnectwithpeople,youconnectwiththeirissues.Itall comesdown to howwe see ourselves.Whenwe know we are sinnersinneedof Jesus,andreceivedGod’s forgiveness,thenwe canshowthatsame love to othersas we expectthemtodoto us. Christian maturityislovingpeople nomattertheirissues, makingallowancesfortheirfaults. Itcanbe hard to love someone whentheyare insin,orif theyhave a certainstruggle,butwithGod’s grace and love,we canserve andlove them.Praythat God will give youaheartto serve and love those nomattertheirdifferencesandstruggles.Andstoptryingtofix othersandstraiten everyone out.LetGodbe the potter.Itis easyforme to do this,whenwe needtoallow Godto do hisworkand not try to getpeople toplease ourappetites. 5. Make everythingabout Jesus.We are to do everythingforthe gloryof God. LetJesusbe the forefrontandserve otherswithhislove because of whathe hasdone foryou.Die to yourself, take up yourcross and followJesusChrist.WhenJesusiscentral,we cangetpast ourselvesand relate tootherswell.Ihave Asperger’sandIam still able todothis.We can allow people tobe whoGod made themto be andavoidmuch conflictdoingso.We do not expectpeople to believeeverythingwe believe andgetoffendedif theydon’tand we donot expectpeople to cater to our desiresbutrespecttheirwishesanyways.We donothave to have people signa card for themto believewhatthischurchbelieves,buthave themfollow Christ.AsBobGoff wouldsay,“Live forJesus30 secondsat a time”.It’snot aboutus andwhat we want,but God and whathe wants.
- 3. Whenwe get pastour ownappetitesforuniformity,we canlive inunitywithothersandhave peace withothers. We can grow to ChristianMaturity,lovingGodandlovingothers.OnlythroughChristcan we achieve unitywithourchurchand withunbelieverssince Christisourlife (Col 3:4) andwe live for him(2 Cor 5:15).