I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
John 17:21
His own prayer reveals that Jesus wants us to be joined with God and with each other, but He also wants more than that. He is bravely asking His Father for the whole world; He doesn’t want anyone to be left out. He says that if we are one in God, then the whole world will see and believe that God has come to them.
Becoming one with others is not just a sappy sentiment reserved for campfire songs; it is integral to our given mission of spreading the life of God in the world. If we are not one, the whole message has not gone out, the full text of the Good News is remains undelivered.
Simply “believing” in oneness without practicing it through action is not an option for followers of Jesus. The Bible is quite clear:
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?...Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” [James 2:14, 17]
Choosing to live as one with others requires a commitment to live what I believe out loud. It demands that I actively seek out and set aside what separates me from others, and invite God’s love to conquer that divide. It means moving through fear and forgiveness. It insists on letting go of self-preservation in order to embrace another.
The Real Question: How do I practice oneness with others? What do my actions reveal about my love?
Family Talk: Pick one members of your family and have everyone else express one thing about them that they like, admire etc. If time allows pick another member and do the same thing.
ONE in Prayer: God, Help me not just to believe in love but to live in it. Give me Your passion for oneness with God and with others and help me to bring about Your kingdom, even in the small and daily decisions of my life. Amen.
College life was unique for me in that our campus ministry was truly "One". For a while, we cleaned random peoples' dorms, prayed together, ate together, and even gave drunk people rides home from the bars together. The unity among us was so strong that we felt very comfortable and at home talking about the many things God had done and was doing in us and for us.
- Andrew
No comments:
Post a Comment