Unity Through The Holy Spirit

Romans 15:5-6,13

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow  Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As The Church - established in Christ - we must find endurance, encouragement, hope, joy, peace, trust, and power. This can only be accomplished through unity and this unity is only possible through the Holy Spirit. 

Therefore, let us - as The Church of Jesus Christ pursue the unity of the Holy Spirit - so that we may glorify God with one heart and one mind and one voice. 

We All Need Encouragement

I wrote earlier today about the power of encouraging words, how some words from Barnabas enabled Saul to fulfill The Lord's call to ministry.

We all need to hear encouraging words in order to receive the confidence and ability to make it through this life. Yet if we do not belong to a community we will not receive the encouragement needed. And, in a world filled with depression and loneliness, encouragement and community seem to be our highest need and desire.

It seems to be a vicious cycle. People are depressed and so they withdraw from community - the community of church, the community of family, the community of friends, and the community of love and fellowship. As they withdraw from community they receive less and less encouragement and they grow more depressed.

THIS IS NOT GOD'S PLAN! The only solution is to get into a community again - maybe even by force.

See, all of us - at one point or another - feel as though we are alone and we need encouragement, love, and support. And it is at these moments that we are overwhelmed with feelings of rejection - perhaps even that we are an outsider.

It is at these very moments - as we wonder why no one cares or why no one calls - that we need to consider others. It is at these very moments that we need to pick up the phone, pick up a pen, or pick up the keys, and pour some needed love and encouragement into the life of another person.

Psalm 23

The 23rd Psalm is a beautiful reminder of who our God is and all the strength, comfort, encouragement, shelter, rest, love, mercy, discipline, forgiveness, guidance, grace, and hope that He gives to our lives.

The danger in a Psalm such as this, one that we become overly familiar with, is that we allow it to become common to us, and thus, it loses meaning in our lives and of our God.

I invite you to read the following Scripture, the 23rd Psalm, pausing to reflect on the words used and the meaning of these words. A journal entry prayer written by King David;

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."