Issue 15 - Day 4

1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1:10-11
10)  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11)  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

We are used to the the bible dealing with serious issues in the churches. Whenever it speaks of contentions in the church these, historically were events that broke fellowships apart, formed new denomination, and resulted in lifelong feuds between people who should have known better. Some years ago, looking at the history of the churches in the town where I lived, the trail of repeated splits and mergers looked like there had been a storm in a plate of spaghetti! This is not what God wants, nor is it the case on the smaller scale.

The reality is that there are no churches, and indeed no organisations, even down to family units, where there is perfect harmony all the time. we are not talking about world shattering events here, but even the little niggles such as, “why do I have to do everything, while she does nothing?” (a common one in our family). Paul instructs us to be of the same mind, and that is the mind of Christ. When each of us individually come to have the mind of Christ, then corporately we become more of one mind.

But, what are the two keys of unity? Communication and prayer. If you talk to someone you will resolve issues, even before they begin. When relationships fail they start with failure to communicate. Regarding prayer, God gives us a heart of love for those we pray for. It is impossible to hate someone when you are seeking God on their behalf. So pray for your brothers in Christ, then talk.