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Your Place And Effort In Unity
Brian Mashburn
October 31, 2010
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Unity? But We're Not The Same!
I have a video that I secretly took of my three kids while they were interacting on a trampoline. They were completely engaged with each other in a fictional story of great battle! Of course, it was beautiful to me because they were all getting along so well.
When my kids are getting along, Shade is usually the instigator of some great project or activity. He's a passionate kid, and when he uses that gift towards something, the others usually want to do it (me too!). But the whole thing would be very short lived if it weren't for Callie. Callie is a committed worker. Whereas Shade loves "ideas" he is liable to quit on it if it's too much work. But Callie is quick to say, "I'll do that!" so that the game or project can go on. Her willingness keeps her brothers going. But this whole thing would be all business if it weren't for Jakin. Jakin is his "own man" and brings a humor, a laughter, and a light heartedness that keeps the whole thing fun and energized.
They are not the same. And it would be tragic if they were.
It's true in our church family, too. Paul says in Ephesians 4 to "make every effort to keep the unity (not uniformity) of the Spirit through the bond of peace," and that "to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it," so that "the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
Our mission to make disciple of Jesus through relationships would be pretty short lived and limited in its reach if all we had were passionate idea folks, but no workers. Or all diligent workers, but no one to keep the humanity in it all.
Never say, "I can't be unified with Southwest because of how I am." It is because of how you are that we need you to be unified with us.