One Accord part 1
I like this because I like a good turn of phrase. Let's link Philippians 2:2, "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind," with Ecclesiastes 4:12, "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." A threefold cord. One accord. See what I did there? But let's get into this. It's about unity. It's about, as one of my old pastors used to say, "Majoring on the majors and minoring on the minors." One of the most important things I think I ever figured out (in ministry and in life) is that you don't have to agree with everything someone says in order to fellowship with them. In fact, you really don't have to agree with anything they say. And it's not my job--as a pastor, or as a human being--to change people's minds. I've never thought ministry should be about convincing someone that they are wrong and I am right. Because while I do have an unction from the Holy Spirit and I do know all things--because I know God is love and He loves me (and you)--that doesn't mean that I necessarily understand everything I know. I've Ranted before on the differece between knowing it all and being a know it all. Two very different things. And, again, it's all about attitude and unity. In my life I can say that I generally take things as they are. See things as they are. I don't get stuck too often in expectations or have many blindspots for people. People are who they are and they do what they do. Trying to change them only ever frustrates ME. So instead, I just love them. Unity comes from love. Relationship. Connection. All of those bridges that we need to build are built on, and with, love. It's all about love. Being likeminded means having the same love. Letting the ONE mind of Christ that is in ALL of us BE in us. Agreeing on what is truly important and not worrying about the rest of it. And I said earlier that you don't have to agree on anything in order to fellowship. Some of the people at work are decidedly NOT very "Christ-like." And they don't know that I'm a pastor. But we can still co-exist. We can still get along. I'll still help them whenever and however I can. Not because of who THEY are, or what THEY believe, or what THEY do... but because of who I am, and what I believe, and what I do. How you treat people says more about you than it does about them. Because you can't control what other people do. You can only control what you do. And self-control, by the way, is a fruit of the Spirit. It's important. So when we're looking to bind ourselves together as a threefold cord--look at Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them"--when we're looking to bind ourselves together... here's how it works. If I line up with Jesus (LOVE) and you line up with Jesus (LOVE) then we will automatically line up with each other. In the one way that truly matters. So being of one accord, being that threefold cord, is you... me... and Jesus!