Maximising the Strength of Unity

Maximising the Strength of Unity- By Brian Houston
As a movement, we are extremely fortunate to have a spirit of unity among our leaders, and I believe this has attributed to the impact and influence we are collectively having in our communities through our churches.

Unity is an essential ingredient for building a strong and thriving church, household, marriage, city and nation. It is something we should guard at all costs as disunity brings with it serious consequences, and is a strategy the enemy uses to break down and weaken our impact.

In Matthew 12:25, Jesus warned: 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.'

Jesus speaks of a 'kingdom', which to me suggests something that was once strong and solid, and a 'house' being destroyed by division. It also tells us that this scripture can be applied not only to a nation, city or church, but also to our personal life, marriage, family and work.

Conversely, the Bible contains many scriptures equating victory and blessing to a spirit of unity. With unity comes strength, effectiveness and longevity. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3 that, 'two are better than one', but two are only better if they're united in vision, direction and cause. Unity, whether in a family or church setting, is a powerful force.

Often when we think about division, we think about strife in our churches, but we need to be aware that there is more than one way a Kingdom can become divided. Potentially divisive habits or behaviour come in many guises, including the following three areas that, if left unchecked, can weaken, limit and even destroy our churches:

1. Divided Impact

There are hundreds of thousands of worthwhile causes in the world to support, and it would be easy at times to try and give to as many of them as we can. In theory, this sounds like a noble act, but in reality it can diminish our impact. The fact is we can be doing less by doing more!

Let me give you and example. Imagine if I landed in a war-torn country with a pie in my hand only to be confronted by 10,000 starving children. You and I know my effort to divide the pie between all the hungry would be futile, and everyone would still leave hungry. But, if I combined my effort and resource with others, our effectiveness and impact on the poor and destitute would be far greater. Simply put, my contribution linked to a united effort can make a bigger difference.

This is a principle we read about in Malachi. The Lord says, 'Bring all the tithes to the storehouse that there may be food in My house' (Malachi 3:10). When accompanied by clear vision and strategy, a full storehouse enables us to have a greater impact.

This is not about legalism but rather it's a question of impact. When it comes to our giving and support it's far better to have a cohesive strategy that targets a specific purpose than a divided vision. There are many good ministries and charities to support, but attempting to support them all can dilute our effectiveness.

2. Divided Capacity

Each of us has a certain capacity when it comes to our time, resources, and the contribution we can make to the ongoing work of the ministry. Time and again, be it through too much debt or an over commitment of time, I see people fall into the trap of overextending themselves, leaving them with little room to move if their situation changes or if an opportunity arises. Becoming too busy and attempting to do too many things can weaken or diminish our capacity.

The Bible says, 'Better a handful with quietness than both hands full' (Ecc 4:6 ). When I read this scripture, I imagine someone carrying a pile of firewood, struggling not to drop any of it. As they walk towards the house they see something that needs to be done, but because their hands are so full, they can't do anything about it.

Many people live their life in the same way, leaving no margin for the unexpected. My goal is always to have one 'hand' free, so if presented with an opportunity to help someone in need, I am in a position to be spontaneous in my generosity.

3. Divided Loyalties

Proverbs 18 in the Amplified Bible reads, "The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend."

It speaks of divided loyalties, both when it comes to our literal friendships but also when it comes to our relationship with the house of God.

Let me explain using the analogy of a divorce. As good as it sounds, trying to stay friends with both parties after the marriage break-up will ultimately limit your ability to be a good or fully supportive friend to either person. Divided loyalties weaken our potential to be a good friend to anyone.

In terms of the House of God, many of us would have encountered a young person in our church that during the week lives totally in the world, in love with all it has to offer, nothing differentiating them from every other non-Christian out there. But come Sunday, this young person finds himself in church hands raised in worship. This person is neither a good friend to the House or to the world. I would almost rather that they become a best friend to the world with the hope than one day they'll come to the end of themselves and return to the House of God committed and passionate, than live with divided loyalties that will lead to destruction.

Who and what we're friends with reveals a lot about us. The saying goes that 'bad friends corrupt good habits', but it's not just external factors that can divide our loyalties. Internal factors such as cynicism, negativity, apathy can shape mindsets and mentalities that don't line up with God's purposes for our life. We need to choose to be a friend to those things that impart vision, inspire us, encourage and help us fulfil all God has called us to do.

Maximum impact comes from those who have a revelation on what it means to be a good friend. We need to position ourselves to be best friends to God's House, guarding against division, and determining in our hearts that nothing will draw us away from building His Kingdom.