Originally published Wednesday, 28 October 2015.
Fight for yourself.
Take care of your own.
Make a way for your ways.
It's eat or be eaten.
Don't let people take advantage of you.
No one understands.
Be number one.
Give it your all.
Do whatever you can to get ahead.
At all costs.
Make money and please self.
Be first in line.
Forge a way.
Only the strong survive.
This would be all fine and dandy, except God flips the script of the world on it's ugly head to say:
1. In me and through me, you make up one body, with many parts. 1 Cor. 12:12
2. Your role on earth is to prepare people for good works of service, so that the body of Christ is built up until we all reach unity in the faith...attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph. 4:11-13
3. You belong to each other, each member forms one. Ro. 12:5
These words make us contend with a different vision of purpose. We have to take care of our family. Our united, although seemingly divided, unit that Christ has deemed worthy of all godly affection.
If God sees it that way, shouldn't we?
So as one, we can move to become a different one, a loving one, a bonded one.
Not one fighting for one. But one many fighting for many.
Not one clawing and scratching to the top of the pack,
but one laying and paving a way for other to step into glory.
Not one finding pride in self-achievement,
but one seeing achievement being other's progress too.
This makes me consider, am I a Spirit-keeper or a flesh-keeper?
A uniter or a divider?
Do I keep the bond of love, peace and togetherness glued by the Spirit
or do I keep the bond of my agenda, vision and plans that only make my eyes stick to myself?
A life sticking to vanity, is one wasting away in the mirror of carnal. It is staring at what will never come to be. It is relying on an image that will one day fade away to the glorious day where all join hands to sing, to resound and to clap--together--at the glory of the Lord.
...to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment--to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Eph. 1:10
God desires that we get a slice, a piece, a helping of this unity on earth too.
The question is, will we we take a bite believing it tastes good?
As we grab hands, we are grabbing the life we always thought we were fighting for. We find kindred hearts that understand our plight, so we can give a better fight. We will find encouragement, in the face of "despair." Hope in the face of, "I can't." Life in the face of "struggle."
We find family, not perfect family, but blessed family-in the name of Jesus Christ. Because, his body? He makes it work, move and run. It's not by our perception of it's effectiveness, but by his benediction of it's power.
And, there we have it. We thought we were responsible for moving ourself, but God is ready to move a body in unison towards greatness.
I guess the question is-will we go? Do we trust him enough to allow others to help us?
We are better together. Can move farther together. Can beat resistance together. Can't be broken together. Can't go as wayward together. Will live united together, forever.
Why not start now?
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