Unity in Diversity Part 2

So as we made the point in Part 1 if we are believers in Jesus Christ, we are all born of the same Holy Spirit, so united in our spirit and all part of the Body of Christ

 But we are also very unique, being made in His image, making us the person He wants us to be. We can celebrate our individuality. God doesn't want us to be like everyone else so why do we kick against His pricks to copy those we admire, or feel inferior because we are not the same.

Even Paul and Barnabas had their differences of opinion 'Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways.....' Acts 15:37-41. They were both working for the Kingdom of God, but they saw, at that time, what they felt the Holy Spirit was leading them into individually and they did not agree. They differed on how to go about it. Paul wanted to take Silas but Barnabas 'full of the Holy Spirit and faith' (Acts 11:24), wanted to take John. But according to Paul 'he wasn't about to take along a quitter who as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia' Acts 15:39 msg. I am sure Paul and Barnabas had not meant to fall out or hurt each other. They had been through so many challenging  experiences together, pointing people to Jesus, setting up churches, surviving persecution. Now they chose to recognise this was not a close friendship at this time but to let it go and move on. Both their priorities was to not hold up God's Kingdom work, but to constantly keep the eternal goal in front of them.

Even Mary and Martha had their differences and built up resentment against each other. Martha even getting Jesus involved in the conflict, (Luke 10:40) but dear Martha, was put in her place very lovingly by Jesus. This hasn't seemed to cause her to change her behaviour at this time,  'There is only one thing worth being concerned about, Mary has discovered it......' Luke 10:42. After Lazarus died and Jesus, Who had waited on God's timing to go to the sisters, Martha is going out to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house. John 11:20. So had Martha's priorities changed, and was she now thinking like her sister?

As believers we are called to love one another whatever we feel. I can feel wrong and do what is right then I can walk in the Holy Spirit. Then the world knows that Jesus is real and relevant for today. We are even asked to love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us, (Matthew 5:44) this is so different from the world, and helps to bring us into unity.

So in the light of what the Holy Spirit is saying to us let us really ask Him to show us where we are NOT united in His way and what He wants us to do about it? We are told if we look into the Word and then do nothing we are fooling ourselves..........James 1:22-25, 

Remember Jesus, He had Judas in His team, He didn't go 'I am not going to hang around with you lot because of that traitor Judas'. He didn't even gossip to His closest disciples about Judas putting his hand into the money purse. He didn't even try to show Judas up by trying to trap him. There must have been so many opportunities for Him to expose Judas's corruption and yet right to the end, He was washing Judas's feet, and sharing the Passover meal, our amazing merciful Jesus gave Judas lots of opportunities to repent. How did Jesus love him so much? He gave us the most amazing example of how to walk in His footsteps on the earth and to have a heart of love for all people, even willing to lay down our time, reputation, money for those we don't even like, just to show Jesus to the world. We can only do that by walking in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:5 NLT 'For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love' So let us be proactive in loving with His love and bringing about unity for His Name's sake.