Disunity and Rivalry

When believers treat one another as rivals, the result is disunity—and disunity and rivalry weaken our witness and hinder the work of the Gospel.

“I am … asking … for those who believe in Me … that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”—John 17:20–21 NASB

World War I officially ended on this day in 1918. At its conclusion, many questions were asked: Why had the war erupted? Why did it last so long? Why did nearly 9 million soldiers die?

One issue that became evident was that countries had been blinded to the impact of disorganization and disunity. There were cases of leaders and military units within the same country failing to work with others within their own government, even considering them rivals. No nation was immune from these problems.

Sadly, this same kind of division and disunity often plagues the body of Christ. Too often, Christians do not go in private to those with whom they have disagreements (Matthew 18:15–18) but resort to gossip and condemnation instead. Rather than acting as part of the same body (Ephesians 4:1–6), they approach other believers as rivals. They don’t “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21), and they fail to love others unconditionally (1 John 3:10–17).

If we are to win the war with Satan … if we want real spiritual power … if we want to be effective witnesses … and if we want to live in victory, we must be “one.” We must function as a body and love each other.

Today, seek unity in the body of Christ. Pray for other believers. Show love and seek humility. Submit to the Lordship of Jesus and focus on fulfilling His call on your life.

Reflection Question: How can you pursue unity and love in a divided situation today?