Together

I was away last week, so I've decided to make up for it with a really long post. ;) Just kidding, not kidding.

1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “My brothers and sisters, I urge you by the name of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed, to come together in agreement. Do not allow anything or anyone to create division among you. Instead, be restored, completely fastened together with one mind and shared judgment.”

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says, “Just as a body is one whole made up of many different parts, and all the different parts comprise the one body, so it is with the Anointed One. We were all ceremonially washed through baptism together into one body by one Spirit. No matter our heritage – Jew or Greek, insider or outsider – no matter our status – oppressed or free – we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

1 John 4:12 says, “No one has ever seen God with human eyes; but if we love one another, God truly lives in us. Consequently God’s love has accomplished its mission among us.”

1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded and show sympathy, love, compassion, and humility to and for each other.”

2 Chronicles 30:12 says, “The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.

Colossians 3:13-14 says, “Put up with one another. Forgive. Pardon any offenses against one another, as the Lord has pardoned you, because you should act in kind. But above all these, put on love! Love is the perfect tie to bind these together.”

Ephesians 1:10 says, “A plan that will climax when the time is right as He returns to create order and unity – both in heaven and on earth – when all things are brought together under the Anointed’s royal rule.

     I’ve been a part of a team in some fashion for most of my life. I grew up playing sports. I loved the competition. I loved to see if I could be the best. There was this drive in me to be the best at whatever I was doing. It didn’t always work out for me. Sometimes, I wasn’t the best. Actually, for a good chunk of my youth I wasn’t even close to good. It wasn’t until later when I began to develop more skills, strengthen the skills I had already had, and learn to make fewer mistakes. But there was one more thing that really changed my level of skill and play. It was simply knowing that I was a part of a team. I began to realize that I needed my teammates and they needed me. I began to see the results of each of us holding each other accountable for our actions. We would work with each other in order to develop our skills. We called out our weaknesses to one another. Often times we filled in the gap where others were not so strong. We were a team. We were cohesive. We were one.

     It’s interesting to me living in one of the most individualistic societies that there is something instinctive about wanting to belong. I find it odd only because I know so many people who like being alone. But when I ask them to choose between being isolated for the day or to have someone else by your side, they almost always choose the latter. Why? It’s because we were never designed to be alone. We were called to partner with one another. We were called to compliment one another. We were called to come together as one.

     This doesn’t mean you need to be married to live out this out. I mean just take my sports team example. As a matter of fact, if you’ve seen the most recent Nike video with Lebron James, you’ll see that the entire commercial is screaming unity, togetherness, and oneness. It isn’t a new concept. It’s actually a very ancient one. The video is truly amazing. But it’s not amazing because of modern technology or fancy cuts and transitions. It’s amazing because of the message. It’s a message that we need to be united as one.

     I find it odd that Nike seems to understand the concept of the church better than the church does. Or maybe it’s just a publicity stunt to draw ratings for the NBA or possibly join the band wagoner’s as they purchase a number twenty-three Cleveland Cavaliers jersey. Whatever it is, the message still speaks truth. It stirs our hearts and our affections because the Creator God designed us this way. To be completely fastened together with one mind and shared judgment. If the church could actually do this maybe others would finally notice. But the truth is that it must begin with me. What am I going to do about it? What am I going to do to show like-mindedness, sympathy, love, compassion, and humility to others? It isn’t until then that people will care to listen to what I have to say.