MEDITATION:
Written by Craig Denison, a contemporary Christian author and speaker. This is an excerpt from his daily devotional “First 15.”
Harmony in music is this beautiful, fleeting occurrence that most singers and musicians work their entire lives to continuously experience. It requires diligence, patience, humility, and unity between people pursuing the same goal of making beautiful music. And when musical harmony is achieved, it touches not only those singing or playing, but everyone listening as well. Living in harmony with one another in everyday life isn’t too different than musical harmony. For most of us it’s a target just as elusive and fleeting. But like musical harmony, it’s worth fighting for. Like musical harmony, it produces joy and life in those who pursue it and touches those around them. All throughout the New Testament, we find exhortations to live life in unified, harmonious community. Scripture is clear that unity in the body is foundational to the Christian life…harmony requires humility, grace, the pursuit of peace, not fighting for our own justice, and blessing those who hurt us. What would our communities, churches, and families look like if we all committed ourselves to these virtues? What would your relationships look like if you strived to obey these commands? God doesn’t ask you and me to pursue these virtues; he commands us. It is a command because God knows that pursuing a life lived in harmony with one another will lead us to the abundance of joy, peace, and purpose we are created to experience. As our good Father, he wants his children to experience the peace that can only come from living in harmony with one another.
PRAYER:
Written by Germaine Copeland, contemporary pastor and author. This prayer is an excerpt from her book “Prayers that Avail Much.”
Holy Spirit, teach us how to agree (harmonize together, together make a symphony) — about anything and everything — so that whatever we ask will come to pass and be done for us by our Father in heaven.
We pray that as members of the Body of Christ we will live as becomes us — with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because we love one another. In the name of Jesus, we are eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.
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