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John 15:18-17:26

John 17:20-21, 23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me… I in them and You in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”

Think

Just before her morning jog, a woman notices that clouds are forming and that it might rain, so she asks her husband to pick her up if it starts raining hard. He knows the route she runs and readily agrees. Twenty minutes later, it begins to pour. Quickly, he grabs the keys and sets out to find her. As he goes through a stoplight, she goes under a pedestrian tunnel at the intersection, and they miss each other. She arrives home, soaked and unable to get in the door because her husband locked the door. He drives the route several times, frustrated that his wife is nowhere in sight. Neither did anything wrong, but they’re both miffed. How they communicate and handle the misunderstanding will either lead them back to a place of unity or perhaps to a day of arguments and escalated issues.

Clearly, unity in a marriage is essential, but in today’s passage, Jesus is talking on a much bigger scale — the complete unity of believers! How can this be possible when even two people can so easily struggle to maintain it? While we have no control over others’ thoughts, words, or actions, we can work towards “oneness” with fellow believers. This is what Jesus was praying over — all future Christ-follower’s unity among themselves and with God so that the world will take notice and believe in Him.

Through the power of God’s Spirit working in You, resist going toe to toe in quarrels against your brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead, stand firm and fight with them, pressing towards the goal of seeing the eyes of unbelievers opened in faith.

Pray

Lord, Thank You for Your love and my salvation through Christ. Let me remain rooted in You. And through Your power working in me, help me live in unity with my fellow believers. Let others see Your love and turn to You in faith as You work within me and guide my relationships. Amen.