Tuesday, September 20 – Colossians 3:11

a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.

 

Many depictions of high school—in movies or TV shows—show how things like sports or academic interests can separate people into different groups and create rivalries. Although this is often a dramatized depiction of reality, there is still a grain of truth to how we categorize ourselves even as we move on from high school into the world. We can identify ourselves with these groups by class, marital status, culture, style, and more. When we come into the church, often we carry these pieces of our identity with us, and while it is wonderful to live uniquely, there is the danger of becoming so individualized that we forget how to live within the body of Christ when met with differences.

 

If you have ever struggled to get along with someone in your small group or felt out of place from others in our worship gathering, remember this verse. Through Jesus, we are united with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We don’t have to look the same or have the same interests or preferences, but through Jesus we have the most important thing in common. Despite our circumstances and situations, those in the church share a deep bond in Christ. Let’s seek to care for and listen to each other in our differences so that we can rejoice together in our unity in Him.

 

• Why do you think it’s often easier to identify barriers than unity?
• How should having Christ in common change the way you interact with other followers of Jesus?
• Pray and ask God to help you identify areas where you have built up barriers between yourself and other believers. Ask God to help you fight for unity in the church.