Jesus desires harmony among believers. Perfect harmony. He prayed for us to be made complete, to be of one mind, united together (John 17:20-23). Paul echos this in 2 Corinthians 13:11: “Finally, beloved friends, be cheerful! Repair whatever is broken among you, as your hearts are being knit together in perfect unity. Live continually in peace, and God, the source of love and peace, will mingle with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11 TPT). We should desire this same unity.
Today’s verse tells us that we should “repair whatever is broken.” We cannot repair what’s broken unless we truly want it fixed. Do we desire the unity that Jesus desires? Are we willing to make the effort to seek out this harmony? We aren’t made complete through good intentions. It takes effort. It takes being proactive, loving, and patient. It takes a heart for God and His people. It’s a daily battle, one in which you won’t always fair well. But perfect harmony is possible. With God, it’s possible.
To do this, we need to listen to each other, show honor, speak truth in love, and do it all with grace and more grace (see James 1:19, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:15).
If you listen to another person, you are bestowing value upon them. People feel worthy when you listen to them. This doesn’t mean you blindly follow others or that all you ever do is listen. It’s more about investing the time and focusing the attention. It’s about treating a person as a person.
It’s about showing honor. Listening is an action that says, “Hey, I care about what you have to say.” There’s certainly other ways to honor people, like speaking well of others, not committing slander or gossip against them, giving others the benefit of the doubt, looking out for the best interest of others, etc. Showing honor is basically saying a person has value, treating a person worthy.
Speaking truth in love is vital for unity. If we are so fixated on love that we neglect to speak truth, we aren’t very loving. How can you love with lies? Even so, you should never pour out a truth sandwich without seasoning it with love. What does this mean? It means that you should not behave like a Pharisee and point out all the truth without any love, mercy, grace, etc. If you are apt to share a lot of truth without love and grace, it will be received as a pointing finger. Judgment. You aren’t going to get harmony with others when all you do is point fingers and accuse everyone of wrongdoing. If you find yourself accusing a lot of people, take a pause. We are children of God, not children of the accuser. So why are you accusing? Are you not also a sinner saved by grace?
We can repair what is broken through the Spirit. Remember, we are united through Him. He is our source of love and peace. Draw near to Him and He will help you to do all of the things necessary to bring about this perfect harmony. If people see our harmony, if they see us united together, they will be more apt to want to hear more about Jesus. If we stick with the chaos that is so similar to this world, onlookers will see nothing different from what is already readily available to them. Let us aim to continually live in peace. We can do it!
Lord, we ask for Your perfect peace to overcome us. Lord, help us to unite together as we walk with You. Thank You for Your love and Your grace. May I pour it out to others today for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name. Amen!
Tania Gutekunst 