Especially in this time, it is important for the Church to be unified. This daily devotional ties together the concepts of unity, community, and humility.
Devotions in the Pastor Steve Sermon Series
We have been talking a lot lately at our church about humility and how it is necessary for any church or group to function as it is intended. So, I wanted to speak to you in this devotion a bit about humility.
Humility
If you look up the definition of humility, you will see that it means, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “freedom from pride or arrogance” or ”the quality or state of being humble.”
Resource
If you are like me, you don’t like definitions that use a form of the word being defined as a definition of the word. It doesn’t truly define it at all.
So, I also had to look up what the word humble means. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that it means “not proud or haughty” “not arrogant or assertive.”
Now, I wanted to look up what haughty means too, but I resisted that so I could continue to gather my thoughts for what I’m going to be talking about in this devotion.
Resource
Community
Another part of what I want to talk about today too, is community. Now, community means “a unified body of individuals.”
Resource
All of us, no matter where we live or gather or socialize are a part of a community. If we live in the same town, we’re a community. If we attend the same church, we’re a community. If we play racquetball at the same gym on the same night, we are also a part of a community of sorts.
So, the main thing to remember is that being together, with a group of people with like interests of one sort or another, we are a part of a community.
One of the things that is needed for a community to function together properly is to also be unified. Perhaps a better way to say it is a community needs to have unity, but it also needs to have humility to function.
Since I have been given to defining terms in what I’m speaking about in this devotion, I also want to include the definition of unity as well. For our purposes here, the definition of unity is, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “continuity without deviation or change (as in purpose or action).”
Resource
Unity inTheir Community with Humility
In Biblical times, it was also important to have unity in their community with humility. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians about that very thing. In Ephesians 4:1-6 he said, “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all” (Eph. 4: 1-6 NLT).
The Upward Call of Christ
Paul laid out several things here to help us pursue the “upward call of Christ.”
The first thing he begs us to “… lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God” (Eph. 4: 1 NLT). Whether you are a pastor, a teacher, a singer, or a faithful church member, you have a calling. All Christians have a calling from God in one form or another.
Given that, we should strive to lead a life worthy of that calling. In all that we do, we should be doing it for the glory of God.
We should not be living a life that is ruled by our flesh. No, we should be leading a life that it ruled by the Holy Spirit.
The second thing that we are called by Paul to do is to always be humble and gentle. I think both things tend to go hand-in-hand.
When one is humble, as I defined earlier, we have a spiritual bent towards being gentle. All these things that living a humble life will also produce gentleness of Spirit.
In fact, the Bible tells us just that. If you read in Galatians 5:22-23 it says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control …” (ESV).
If you are striving to live your life in such a way as to be pleasing to God, the Holy Spirit will lead you into displaying the fruit of the Spirit in your everyday life. And as we see here, gentleness is one of those fruit.
The next thing we are told to do is be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
That can be a hard one at times, I know, but it’s an important aspect of who we are to be as Christians. We must remember that we make mistakes too.
We are people who sometimes need to have allowances made for our faults. We all have them, but the main reason here is that we are to make allowances is because of our love for each other.
We must keep James 1: 20 in mind as we go about our day-to-day lives and are tempted to get upset with someone. It says, “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (ESV).
There is such a thing as righteous anger, but that’s now what I’m talking about here. Our anger does not produce the righteousness of God. Period!
The last thing I want to point out here is that we are instructed by Paul to “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace” (Eph. 4: 3 NLT).
Being united in the Spirit is the main thrust of who we need to be in our community of humility and unity. We must make the effort to do it. We do this by binding ourselves together with peace.
Now, look at what bind means here. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it means:
- “to make secure by tying
- “to confine, restrain, or restrict as if with bonds
- “to wrap around with something so as to enclose or cover.”
Resource
Peace is that with which we are binding ourselves. It is the rope that we used to hold ourselves together in the way we should.
Prince of Peace
In closing this, I want to point out one last thing. The Bible says, in Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (ESV).
This is the prophecy of Jesus’ birth. Notice that one of his names is Prince of Peace. If he reigns in our lives as we should let him, Peace will reign in us as well and keep us where we should be in him. Peace will be in us through him.
Father God.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.