I often laugh when someone says, “Can’t we all just get along?” They don’t mean it. They usually want the conflict to go away. We either want people to see things our way, or we don’t want to deal with them at all. God wants unity in His church, and that means taking people from all different backgrounds and molding them into one cohesive unit. For that to happen, you have to be willing to dwell together in unity.
PSALMS 133:1
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!”
Brought On by the Spirit
The Psalmist is imploring people to dwell together in unity. He’s talking to the nation of Israel, but he as well could be talking to the church (I do not believe the church has replaced Israel but instead has been grafted in like Romans 11 states). Unity is hard to find in the church today. So many people have taken sides with political issues that hate is starting to rise in the pews. Unity is brought on by the Spirit and spreads as people surrender to God’s will when they drop their agendas and make it about what God wants to do in the hearts and minds of the people.
Love Abounds
When you walk into a unified church, there is a pleasant feeling that pervades. People greet one another, and love abounds inside the body and spills over out into the community. This is when the church’s witness can have its most significant impact. When the worlds see our love for one another, it moves their hearts. God desires for the church to dwell together in unity. He is working on the heart of the people to bring it about.
Dwell Together in Unity
What needs to happen in you for unity to exist in your church? Do you need to stop gossiping? Do you need to repent of some hidden sin? God won’t bring unity where sin is running rampant. Another question you need to ask is, “Do you want unity in your church?” If there are people you don’t want to like, then the answer is no. God isn’t going to remove them so you can be surrounded by people you like. He is going to stretch you to love difficult people. When that happens, you will see unity starting to form.