“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.” (Philippians 4:2, NASB95)

Many of you may know, and for those who don’t, I can’t sing. At least not well. Not even in the shower :-). But I sure admire those who can. And when a group of people sing together in harmony, I find that completely amazing. There is a natural beauty that arises from many voices coming together in harmony.

Well, the same is true for Christian living. God’s Spirit of love and peace has filled each of our hearts and provides us the means to live in harmony. When we are not living in harmony, it is because sinful, selfish behavior has taken the place of the Holy Spirit. We must repent when our selfish desires get in the way and block the harmony that the Holy Spirit desires to create in our lives. In Romans, Paul says that “the mind controlled by the Spirit is love and peace.” He says in Galatians, that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” When the Spirit works these qualities into our hearts and lives, He creates a harmony of life among us. He causes us to live in this beautiful unity.

The harmony of Christian living is not just a blessing to us. God intends for our unity to be a proclamation to the sinfully selfish world that He alone can provide the unity mankind’s heart desires. God uses the harmony of our lives to ring out to a discordant world that there is hope. And that hope is in Jesus Christ, who bore all the discord on the cross so that we might have peace with God and live in unity with one another.

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church