UNITY | Jesse Ditchfield

So many options! So many voices! So many THINGS! So much STUFF! Anybody relate? Isn’t literally everyone and everything trying to get your attention …. all the time? 

There are a million different chocolates I can eat, countless social media platforms that I need to stay up to date with, hundreds of idolised celebrities to keep track of and quite frankly too many shows to watch on Netflix! 

Living in a world that is only becoming more saturated, pulling us in all different directions, is really hard. But I love being reminded of Ephesians 4. C’mon! This is where the rubber hits the road! Faith is now added to the mix and we are called to put into practise the truths of what God has already done from Chapters 1-3.

When we read the start of the chapter and personally my favourite part, Paul declares there is one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God of all!

Not only is God over everything but He is THROUGH everything, IN everything. How can this even be possible for anyone but God!

Reading this Scripture, we understand the chance we get to belong to this ONE God and being unified together under ONE accord. I feel the most settling peace when I simply comprehend this concept – it’s incredible! To dwell in knowledge of this unity I’m a part of, supressing all my distractions, all my anxieties and all my worries. When the world is trying to sperate us from God, that’s the time we wrestle to keep in relationship with Jesus, making every effort in to stay unified with the body of Christ.  

Paul describes how it requires us to put off our old selves, indulging in worldly impurity and greed, as a result of sin. But instead, through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit - to put on the new self and be made new in our minds to live in holiness and righteousness. To keep up that Bible reading plan, spending time to pray and resisting the temptations of sin. It’s the struggle we will forever face on this earth, but one of the most important battles we must continually fight. 

We cannot simply ask God for unity, but rather must put it into practice. 

So, if that sounds pretty hard, well it’s because it is! But do not worry – everything we are called to do is anchored back in what God has already done for us. You are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in unity with Jesus Christ through His grace. And when we are in that sweet spot of unity with God, it’s pretty darn good.