There’s No Unity Without The Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (MSG) —
‘By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything.’
I love working with people! I’m so grateful that I get to do a job where I work as part of an incredible team and interact with different people in the community where I live every day. However, even as someone who is highly extroverted and enjoys working alongside others, it can be really hard at times. Right…?
It can be hard to agree (or disagree well). It can be hard to accept other people’s working styles. It can be hard having to compromise on decisions. It can be hard making sure personalities don’t clash. There are so many things that can come in the way of working well with one another.
And let’s not forget that we have an enemy who loves it when we don’t get along. He takes great pleasure in watching us tear each other down and wants to see God’s people living in disunity.
That’s where Paul’s reminder in verse 12 is so key: ‘by means of his one Spirit’. Without the unifying work of the Spirit and the fruit that it produces in our lives, working together in harmony will prove pretty difficult.
'As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life.' Galatians 5:16 (TPT)
As we yield to the Spirit, collaboration, healthy partnership and good relationships (even with the most difficult of characters) is suddenly possible. He helps move our attention away from ourselves and onto Jesus. And as we look to Jesus, our desires shift and change. We go from - 'how can I make sure I feel satisfied in this situation and get my own way,' to, 'how can I look past our differences and work with others to serve Jesus and see the kingdom advancing here on earth?'
Prayer – God help me to yield to your Spirit today. I ask for your Spirit to guide me and help me show love and honour to the people around me.