Build Peace and Unity

Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Try always to be led along together by the Holy Spirit and so be at peace with one another.

─ Ephesians 4:2-3 TLB

You are uniquely different from anyone else on the earth. Your Creator made you that way on purpose. (Even identical siblings have differences between them, but sometimes only those closest to them can see it.)

Those unique differences can make it difficult to get along with some people. It’s easy to consider those differences as flaws in their character. You’re probably thinking of someone right now whose actions or personality really annoy you.

Differences among people can lead to division. Unity and peace in relationships take work. It’s a fight against our carnal nature. Our verses today instruct us to choose to be humble, gentle and patient with one another. In verse 2, it’s the love of God shed abroad in our hearts that activates His love in us and helps us to make allowances for each other’s faults. And in verse 3, it’s our love following the Holy Spirit’s leading that helps us to experience peace and unity with one another.

Instead of concentrating on what divides us, we should remember what unites us. We are the body of Christ. We come together in one faith, one hope, serving the one and only God.

The Holy Spirit helps us to build unity. As He leads, we have to be willing to follow Him, and do our part in choosing peace and unity.

Here are a few ideas in how you can accomplish this:

• Focus on God, not on yourself.
• Appreciate people who are different by celebrating uniqueness.
• See how their difference is a gift. Different viewpoints can spur innovation and creativity in solving solutions or just having fun by doing something in a different way.

Today’s One Thing

Reread our verse for today. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you this week to:

• Be humble and gentle.
• Be patient with others.
• Show your love by making allowances for each other’s differences.
• Invite the Holy Spirit to lead you and help you to be at peace with others.

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