DAY 2

WE're all in

‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says; “When he ascended on high, he took many captives, and gave gifts to his people.”’
(Ephesians 4:3-7)

Reflection

As we can see from today’s scripture, the Christian life is not individualistic. We are part of one body, one faith, one baptism, with one God and Father of all. Just as yesterday’s scripture urged us to walk worthy of our calling, today we are being urged to keep the unity of the Spirit. Unity is a gift from God that must be guarded and protected. We do not create the unity of the Spirit, we keep it! This means praying for broken relationships to be healed, refusing gossip, comparison, offence, and division.

A key way to keep the unity of the Spirit is to honour others above ourselves. Honour goes beyond mere respect but is a mindset of valuing others as God does: ‘Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain deceit, rather in humility value others above yourselves.’ Philippians 2:1-4. This involves selfless love, active listening, celebrating others’ successes, and mirroring the humility that Jesus modelled. In a world focused on self-promotion, this approach fosters deep, supportive communities and reflects Christ’s love for His church.

However, unity alone is not the destination, rather it is the environment in which ministry flourishes. Ministry is not just for the chosen few, we’ve all been given gifts to use for the building up and strengthening of the Body of Christ. Nobody is empty-handed, as every believer has something to bring. Every act of service, whether visible or unseen, is an act of worship and a beautiful expression of the Kingdom of God.

You are a steward of the gifts that God has given you, whether that gift is teaching or administration, prophecy or hospitality, music or mercy, leadership or practical service. Each gift is needed and each gift is valued.

This is reiterated powerfully in 1 Corinthians: ‘Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body…’ 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. Further on we are told, ‘If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact, God has placed the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is there are many parts but one body.’ 1 Corinthians 12:17-20

In other words, we’re not just individually ALL IN, we’re ALL IN TOGETHER! ‘[God] makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.’ Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)

The challenge of the ALL IN series is this: Are you serving and using your gifts? Christ has given grace to each one of us, and the church grows when everyone plays their part.

Devotional

by Charles Karanja

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