31 Days of UnitySample

(Re)flect: One of the beautiful gifts of our Creator is purpose. Genesis begins our story with God in the Garden of Eden where we are created in the image of God, with a profound purpose. We are made to create beauty and life, just like God! God made us to be God’s co-creators! Nothing else in all of creation shares this purpose.

As Jesus taught his disciples about the new life available to them, in the kingdom of heaven, he invited them to discover their purpose. We are created to be salt and light, and a blessing to all creation. Our purpose is to glorify God by joining God in the creation of goodness. Jesus demonstrated this purpose with his life. Every miracle, every teaching, every encounter with broken people, glorified God and showed us the possibility of life in God’s kingdom.

If we miss out on God’s purpose for our lives we are like salt without saltiness or a light hidden under a bowl. There is something tragic and deeply sad about the loss of purpose, or something beautiful being hidden away from the world. When we live outside of our created purpose we not only miss out on the blessing of life but we hide the light of Christ from those around us. This is an important thought for us, as the church, because our divisions and infighting have profoundly impacted how the world sees us and God. Too often the world encounters us as unusable salt or a hidden light. What use is that? In John 17, Jesus says that our unity with God and one another is the light we shine into the world. Without that light how can we live into our purpose?

Today we want to reflect on what it means to be gifted by God with purpose.

Unity is an intended outcome of God’s people living out their purpose, and sharing their lives in God’s kingdom. If we don’t recover and commit ourselves to God’s intention for our lives, we will never know peace or unity.

After you read the passage, ask yourself these questions:

• What is the purpose of salt and light? Do they reveal anything about our purpose?
• How did Jesus shine forth the light of God? Do you feel as if your life is shining forth the same light?
• How can unity in the church glorify God and bring light to the world?

Our Prayer for (Re)flection:

Lord, reveal how we have failed to be obedient to you and love one another as the children of God. We long to be unified through your love and as the body of Christ. Renew our hearts and minds through your unending love, and give us the courage to surrender ourselves to your Spirit this day. Amen