A Prayer to Be United in Mind and Thought
By: Laura Bailey
Bible Reading:
“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” - 1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV
I’ll never forget walking out of the church one Sunday after experiencing my first church-wide budget meeting and my Nana saying, “You know what, Laura? Opinions are like noses, everyone has one.” At the time, the sentiment was lost on me, but now, as an adult and leader in our church, I understand all too well what she meant.
When dealing with others, disagreements and conflicts are to be expected. Even among the most seasoned of Saints, there will be times when we disagree and struggle to come to a resolution. The reality is, like my grandmother educated me many years before, everyone has an opinion. And unfortunately, the more people involved, the more opinions, and the higher the probability that there will be clashes. While the act of disagreeing is not wrong, unless your view goes against Scripture, it is easy for our differences to turn into division quickly. So how do we learn to disagree well? How can we join together with our brothers and sisters to be united in mind and thought, as Paul encourages the Corinthians?
The church of Corinth had lost its way. They were abandoning the Christian principles Paul taught them on his first visit, and began to slip back into their old lives, habits, and practices. Paul is writing to the Corinthians to remind them of their new identity in Christ and what it means to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. He is confident in their salvation, and he truly believes that they desire to follow Christ; however, they just need some encouragement to get back on track. While Paul addresses multiple issues that were prevalent in the Corinth church, he begins his letter by urging the Corinthian Christians to get along.
He reminds the Corinthians that this admonishment to be united in thought, to abandon divisiveness, is not merley a human command, but God’s will. Paul, in the first few verses of chapter 1, speaks of his identity in Christ and reminds these new believers that, regardless of their background, they are now united in Christ as believers– they are family. The Corinthians weren’t acting like a family; instead, they were allowing differences to divide them rather than unite them as a body of believers.
All believers are called to unity; this was not just a command for the ancient church. But does this call to unity mean that we can never disagree? No, that is not what Paul is saying here. He is explaining that because we are unified in Christ, we have the power to be unified among the body of believers. We can have disagreements without there being division. We must cooperate and work together to resolve our issues. Ultimately, Paul is calling us as individuals to pursue personal holiness. As we begin to reflect the likeness of Christ individually, we will naturally start to reflect the likeness of Christ corporately.
Like the early church, it is easy to get distracted, to think of our brothers and sisters as foes instead of friends. Let us, when tempted to allow differences of opinion to divide us, remember the encouragement of Paul. Because we are united in Christ, we can choose to be united in the church.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of Your Word. May we never take for granted the ability to read, study, and meditate on the Scriptures. May we heed the wisdom from Paul to be united in mind and thought. Let us choose our words carefully when we disagree and be prompt in working towards unity.
Thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to save us. Let us never forget that it is only by Your grace and mercy that we can accept through faith only the gift of Salvation. May we extend the same grace and mercy to others. We love you, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/DisobeyArt
She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com
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