Sunday Blogvotional: Let's Get United

Dissension by definition is a difference in opinion which causes disagreement and conflict. As Christians, we are always going to have differences of opinion. That’s just a given. How we react to those differences is the difference between someone who “stirs” and someone who extends grace.

Max Lucado once wrote that if we truly accept God’s grace then we recognize that only God can forgive and only God can judge.  We must accept those who God accepts. This means we can't judge the methods, traditions, or motivations of other Christians from other groups.

Unity is important to God. He doesn't want us to argue and fight with each other.  He wants us to love each other, accept each other, and work with each other. If the world sees that we, as Christians, are united and we love each other (despite our differences), we will more likely convince nonbelievers that Jesus is real and that His love is real.  How can we demonstrate the true extent of God's love if we can't love one another? 

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.  

Proverbs 6: 16:19

Encouragement for the week: Pick another Christian or a group of Christians that you have disagreements with.  Pray specifically that God helps you to extend grace to them and that you're attitude toward them won't get in the way of a nonbeliever's view of God. Pray that we love and accept each other and are united so the world will know the true love of Jesus.

Today's blogvotional contributed by "the hubs".