Sitting down with Phil : Chapter 2: UNITY

   

      I am a highly competitive girl by nature.  I like to win, to chase, to meet goals, I like to be the best at whatever I am doing, so whatever I do I spend a lot of time, energy, and effort thrusting myself into it. This has allowed me to adapt quick, learn quick and be good at things quick and I was able to excel in high school in whatever I was passionate about.    This was great when I was a teenager but as I am going into my middle years of life being the best doesn't cut it for me.  I actually don't like being around people who are like this because I have a real difficulty with being around prideful people.  Why?  Because I know what its like to place all your hopes and security in something so deceiving.  Everyone likes to talk about it but no one likes to own up to it.  

  Pride is the thief of anointing, the destroyer of relationships, and the killer of whole bodies of people.   I have seen leaders fall under the pressure and the most important people in their lives have paid dearly.  I hate pride because, it hurts everything that person touches.  I have learned through seeing others and through self examination that I don't want pride in my life.  So again when I sit with Phil (Philippians) and Chapter 2 is where we leave off.  Pride requires itself to be multiplied and it buys into the myth: to be unified you have to be the same.   Warren W. Weirsbe book "BE JOYFUL"  says it like this: 

     "There is a difference between unity and uniformity.  True spiritual unity comes from within; it is a matter of the heart.  Uniformity is the result of pressure from without.  "

Unity is selfless 

 " Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.  Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. " (Phil 2:3) Paul sets it up as this: Unity is checking your agenda at the door.  If you are trying to raise yourself, your products, your agenda it is you, not everyone else who has some serious reflection to do.  I started an outreach ministry with an amazing team of women this year.  God gave us the core value:  unity not uniformity.  Why?  Because it is time we as Christians quit being selfish with our agendas and desires to be right and start going after what Breaks Gods heart: Lost, broken, captives, sick, oppressed.   Its easy to be the center of attention any toddler can do it, but it is hard to actually be unified together UNDER the cause of Jesus.  It requires you to leave your agenda at the door and pick up Gods, then carry it.  Unity has to be an individual choice, a heart choice,  before it can be a corporate one. 

Unity is the right attitude

Paul says:  "Make your own attitude that of Christ." (Phil 2:5)   Okay so what was Christs attitude?   Paul goes on to say this: 
"Who, (Jesus) existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be USED for his own advantage.  Instead he emptied Himself, by assuming the form of a SLAVE, taking on the likeness of man. 
So what does this mean for us?    Your position has less to do with status and more to do with purpose.  Jesus, son of God didn't think he was equal with God, he didn't use his position as messiah to have people worship him.  In fact there are many times in scripture he had COMPASSION for the crowds and ministered to them.  You see Jesus understood that he was here to serve the people.  As a church (generally speaking) it boggles my mind that we have leaders looking for people to serve them, their visions, their kingdoms, yet these same people walk away week after week, desperate for change.  It is time we as a generation get the right attitude.  To make culture changes, to see people free, rise up and live abundant lives for Gods kingdom.  It isn't about being on a platform for everyone to see, its about being a reflective surface that shines Gods light into dark places and actually takes back what we have allowed to be stolen.  

Unity is obedience 
 Paul goes on to say this about Jesus:  He humbled Himself by becoming Obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."   so who wants to sign up for that assignment?  Any takers?  No, its not something we want to face.  Most of the people in the bible found freedom in surrendering to God's will and complete obedience requires you to let go of your agenda, your wants, your fame, and your comfort.  It requires you to pick up Gods plan and walk it out.  I can tell you obedience isn't popular, there have been times that God has called me to step out and no one, not even myself, understood why.  Christine Caine says it this way "Many want my call, want my results, but they don't want to go through what I go through."   Unity is about obedience to God first, checking yourself up against his word, and then walking it out. You want to see God move?  Great! It  has to be your move first,  you start getting to know who He is and being Unified with Him first. When Christians start to wake up and realize who they are in Christ, the body starts to mature because you don't get bogged down by the pride and selfishness.  Gossip stops, the "opinions" stop, the grumbling stops, the whining stops, and finally, the body can begin to move forward because when you get out of the way God is able to have his way.    

Unity is not Uniformity 
It has been my experience and my understanding of bible stories, themes, and people that Unity is going to require you to stand out.  Esther, queen of Persia, walked a death walk stepping out to speak for her people.  David lived a large part of his life in obscurity and was treated horribly by men he loved dearly.  Jesus was crucified on a cross as a common prisoner. Paul was beaten, stoned, ostracized, placed in prison and then death.   Uniformity is easy it just requires you to hide who you are and what your capable of. With my daughters I like to dress them alike, they look very similar and some mistake them for twins.  I have a lot of things that make them look outwardly the same. But as their mom I can tell you their personalities, their internal designs are very unique and different.  My job is to teach them Gods voice, and let them discover Gods all for their life.  Our job as christian leaders is not to give someone a uniform it is our job to help them discover their God designed purpose. Unity means we are all being Christ like .  

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