[04ctd]

Unity

"I pray not only for these but also for those who believe in Me through their message. May they all be one, as You, Father are in Me and I am in you. May they also be one in Us so the world may believe You sent Me." John 17.20-21

"I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as we are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me." John 17.22-23

We see Jesus describing how the world will know that God sent Him. We see from the above passages that unity among believers ("those who believe in Me through their message") is very important to Jesus and is a key to the world knowing that the Father sent Jesus.

We often pursue unity for unityÔÇÖs sake, and we share the good news with people (appropriately so) so they might come to believe in Christ. But we seldom connect our unity with each other in God with our witness. Jesus does in vs. 20-21. In these passages He tells us that our unity is how the world will come to believe that the Father sent Him. And note in vs. 22-23 that JesusÔÇÖ prayer is that we become "completely one".

How do we cooperate with these prayers? How do we become "completely one"? Do we strive to define our differences, and then try to find ways to reconcile them? Or do we all simply pursue Jesus?

As two people walk up the mountain on different trails they get closer and closer together as they get near the top. I believe that is the model for unity - everybody involved pressing into a closer relationship with Christ. As we all come closer to Christ, we will come closer to each other and the unity that Jesus spoke of will become obvious to others. That is a work of God and will show others the truth of the Gospel. It is a supernatural unity.

How does this apply to our businesses? If all our team is on the same page, we will be much more effective than if we are pulling in different directions. A key part of this is to make sure the vision of where we are going and our purpose and mission is well communicated to all of the team and that they embrace them.

More importantly is for everyone to see that we work under the leadership and lordship of Jesus in our business. As we place ourselves, as leaders of the business, under the authority of Christ, then the unity Jesus spoke of in John 17 will begin to be manifest in our company as we are all climbing the same mountain. It will be transforming to the business we are running for Christ.