Our Unity Will Impact Eternity
How to lead with love in a divisive world.
All it takes is a quick scroll on your social media or news feed to reveal division and discord. From political parties to contrasting worldviews, people are pitted against one another making unity seem impossible.
In John 17:21, Jesus prayed to the Father, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Jesus’ prayer shows us that unity is not an impossibility and that our unity impacts eternity. So what does this kind of unity look like? How can we carry out Jesus’ prayer and mission? Here are three ways:
1. Love intentionally
Good theology is important, but your theology won’t impact humanity or change eternity. But Jesus said the way you love each other is what impacts people's lives:
I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:34-35
Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.” How did Jesus love you? Did He wait until you had it all figured out? Did your views perfectly align with His views on every issue? No, He just loved you right where you were—even when you were going the opposite direction.
2. Listen intently
Jimmy Rollins says, “Be a part of the solution, not the pollution.” One way to be a part of the solution is to listen intently. Listening is becoming a long-lost art. Everybody has an opinion. Everyone wants to be right. Many people are only listening enough to prepare a rebuttal, but that’s not a real conversation. Productive conversations seek understanding and empathy.
In addition to listening to others, we must learn to listen to God. We need to stop telling God what we think He should do and start asking God what He wants us to do. As we learn to hear from the Holy Spirit, He will help us know how to lead with love.
3. Learn purposefully
Pastor Daniel Arbolaez says, “It's easier to cancel than to reconcile. It's easier to cancel than to admit that I don't have the perfection I'm demanding from other people. And the good news is that the Gospel gives us a better option than cancel culture—it's Kingdom culture.”
Admitting we aren’t perfect means recognizing we don’t know everything and that there is something to learn from everyone. Ask yourself, Is there any area of my life in which I’m shutting down people because they believe differently, think differently, or vote differently than me? This week, seek conversations where you ask questions—not to prove anything—but to listen and learn.