Being in the Ministry Academy, unity is something I've learned a lot about in this past year. It involves every single person in the group and it is not easily formed. However it can be broken quickly when individuals choose to live and act out of their own selfish motives. Over this past year I've seen the importance of having unity in the Body of Christ, at least in a microcell of the body called FCA. Without unity we don't have anything. It takes unity for this program to work. Each and every day, every student and teacher must take off their own selfish desires, and die to it, in order to become more like Christ . What I've learned throughout this year is that unity definitely involves humility, love, and help from the Holy Spirit.
Humility is essential for unity. Going into my first year, the Lord revealed to me that pride needed to be worked out in my heart. And so I prayed that the Lord would humble me in whatever way he saw fit. Soon after I started FCA God quickly began to answer that prayer. Caleb and Austin were my second years leading me in my first six months of my first year. A year prior I was in summer edition with them as peers, after summer edition however, they began their first year and I started my senior year in high-school. A year goes by and they are now second years and I was just beginning my first year. This was hard for me at first because I had to submit myself to them, honoring their seniority. But once I realized the opportunity God gave me to walk in humility it changed my whole outlook on it and encouraged me to look for more ways to walk in humility.
Taking the stance of love. When I choose to love my brothers and sisters, conflict resolution can be achieved. No matter what the disagreement is, whether it’s trivial, or a serious heart correction, unity is already attained because both me and my sibling in Christ have decided to love each other beforehand; this allows God to move and complete His will through us. It’s so amazing! Because of love, whenever friction may occur a greater bond of unity is developed if pressed through to resolve. This can never be overstated and is something I am always reminding myself. I also found that you can have slightly different views on things and still maintain unity because of love and focus on God.
The Holy Spirit is the ultimate unifier. God has done more for me and the other FCA students in an hour and a half of deep intercession prayer than a month of team building together. It was and is so amazing praying for my brothers and sisters and watching God tear down any barriers that may have been between us. The Holy Spirit convicts me of hindrances that may affect the Spirit flowing through me. So any pride, insecurities, jealousy, or worry (etc) in my life that may cause disunity, I can then be obedient to the Spirit's prompting and submit that to the Lord. Being Spirit filled the Spirit helps one discern fairly quickly if there is something that is in the group that may be causing disunity.
Unity (I’ve probably used the word at least 10 times by now) is so important for the body of Christ to function. As a collective everyone was to be involved to attain it, and it takes a servant's heart that puts others before themselves. When our focus is on God and loving others, conflict can be wielded to grow and refine us. The Holy Spirit was sent as a helper so we are not alone in this endeavor to be the body of Christ. Unity in the body is what sets a Kingdom Culture to a world that is not accustomed to it.
-Blessings Isaiah
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