1 Corinthians 1:10 Devotional

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
-1 Corinthians 1:10

It doesn’t take one very long to look around and realize that we live in a very divided world. Social issues, political views, and the ability for one to project their opinions into the public sphere through social media have allowed for discord and disagreement to become the norm rather than the exception. To try and exist in the public marketplace it to expect for conflict to erupt at the smallest difference in opinion.

Some of the worst disagreements can come within the church itself. How many times has a church gathering or committee meeting devolved into fighting and screaming simply because someone brought up the idea to change the carpet or add lights to the sanctuary? The people of God – those who are supposed to be unified under the banner of King Jesus – are often the worst offenders of unity!

In our media-saturated, conflicted world, it can be easy to think that this situation has gotten worse. However, the apostle Paul shows us that this lack of unity has existed since the first days of the church! In his first letter to the church in the city of Corinth – known for their disagreements that often became theological cage-matches – Paul writes:

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

For the Corinthians, trying to live as Christians in a pagan, secular world was difficult. Other religions and views often threatened to sneak into the Christian’s worship, and disagreements on how to handle daily issues caused this young church to stall out in their work of redeeming Corinth for Jesus. Paul knew that this was Satan’s best weapon at stopping Jesus from working in the world – and he called on the believers to find unity with one another in the work that Jesus had done for each of them.

When we fully grasp the amazing love that Jesus has for us, and how He died for each one that we live in community with, we can begin to see them as children of God instead of enemies. Only when we start from the common ground of Jesus our King can we truly see our differences in a new way. When we see each other as precious in the sight of God, we see how truly foolish our problems with one another are, and we can work together in unity to bring hope to the world.

How will you handle your own conflict and issues differently, knowing that those you disagree with are children of God? How you answer this question will change everything.

Questions For Reflection on 1 Corinthians 1:10

#1 Think back to the last disagreement you had with someone who is a fellow believer. How did that disagreement go? Did the fact that you were both followers of Jesus change how you engaged one another? How should it?

#2 With the world in such disarray, how can the church of Jesus be and make a difference? How should Christians stand out as different in a world that seeks to find fault with one another in every aspect of life? What are some simple steps you can take to make a change starting today?

Prayer

Jesus, I pray that You would unite Your church under the banner of the King of Kings. Forgive me for often choosing to follow the banner of my views, politics, or culture instead of living in unity with You. Help me and my church to be a change agent in a world that needs to see how unity is possible among diverse people. Guide me to lead the way in choosing Jesus’s way when I face conflict and disagreement in my daily life. Above all, help me to honor you in my unity with others!