Week 16 “Live in Harmony with One Another”
Day 3
Pray:
Ask God to reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Rom. 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Reflect:
A musical harmony occurs when multiple notes or pitches are played at the same time. Relational harmony occurs when multiple people act together for common purposes and with common values. In harmony, neither the musical notes nor the people are identical, but they come together with the same aim – whether to create a song or something much grander. The common cause for those who follow Christ is the glory of God. God is both the goal of the Church’s harmony and its cause. He empowers very different people to come together as one people. The church is unique in the world in many ways, but one of the more evident ways is how a group of such diverse people can operate in harmony. It is not surprising that there are problems in the church; it is surprising that there is such harmony among people who are so different from one another. It has been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated time of the week. This belief fails to take into account the many ways in which people are different from one another. You may be of a different race than someone else and yet have much in common with them, such as personality, preferences, economics, and the like. You may be of the same race as someone and yet totally different from them in most other ways. The fact is, each individual represents a unique “inner culture.” For any two people to live in harmony requires that they consider more than their own needs, interests, and perspectives. They must find a common cause and a common point of interest. If you are a Christ follower, your fundamental life purpose is to glorify God. A very practical way this happens is when you live in harmony with others. Jesus said that people know we follow him when we love one another (John 13:35). Make God’s glory your goal, because it is your greatest good. Practically, this means you must look for ways to live in harmony with others. Don’t be distracted by the “small stuff,” but focus on the “largeness” of God’s glory in your relationships with others.
Pray:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today.