The Power and Blessing of Living in Unity

It brings constant joy and delight to God when His children live together with purpose and in unity.  The gift that we receive from living in unity with one another is the holy anointing of oil upon our lives.

We love because Christ first loved us, and we forgive because Christ first forgave us.  A life of unity is impossible when things are always about us.  A life of unity comes through laying down our lives for one another and focusing on others first.  We need to stop living for ourselves and start focusing on Christ's love and how we can show that in our relationship.

Fellowship builds us up and binds us together.

In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul reminded us;  "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
 

Psalm 133: 1-3  How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down on the collar of his robe.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Submission

Submission is defined as the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the power of one's superior or superiors.[Wikipedia]

The word "submission" often comes with many negative connotations.  People often think that it means to be forced to do something against one's own will by someone more powerful.

Do we at times want something so badly that we submit to doing anything to get it?  Are we submitting to admiration?  Possessions?  Self?  Food?  Money?  Pleasure?

This is not what God calls us to do when He calls us to submit.  In his epistle to the Romans, Paul said, "to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves" (Romans 6:16)  Consider Romans 12:9-21, Submission is nothing short of love.  We do not submit for our own sake, or even for the sake of others, but because of our love for our Lord.  We submit to every ruler and authority, regardless of who they are, because by doing so, we express the love of the Gospel.

Submission is not a call to weakness but to strength.  As Anne Dutton states,  "Nothing like faith in God's love to us, as His dear children in Christ - strengthens our spirits to endure afflictions patiently to His glory and our joy."

TRUE FREEDOM IS NOT IN CHOOSING OUR OWN WAY, BUT IN SUBMITTING TO GOD'S WAY.