I just don’t like that Christian, but it’s okay, right?

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John 17:21

“ …that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

Jesus is asking the Father that all the disciples may be one as Jesus and God the Father and in Them as well. Today we will look at the “as” aspect of this prayer.

What do you imagine the unity between Jesus and the Father to be like? We know that Jesus did what the Father told Him to, and that doing the Father’s will was more valuable to Him than having daily food and water (John 4:34). We know that Jesus would often leave His friends, family and disciples to go and pray alone (Luke 5:16). God loved Jesus and gave everything to Him (John 3:35).

Can you picture Jesus to boycott the Father because of a disagreement? Can you imagine Jesus saying to the Father “I like you, but I would rather abstain from having a close relationship with you, just because we are different.” Can you imagine Jesus talking bad behind his Father’s back? Can you imagine Jesus faking his friendship with the Father or the other way around?

Can you imagine all those things to take place in the body of Christ? Is it a shocker for us when one Christian hates another due to differences in personalities? Is it surprising to us when one Christian is gossiping about another? Can we say that we are united just as Jesus and the Father are?

There could be so much more depth and joy to our relationships within our family in Christ if we submit to God and humble ourselves for the sake of seeking unity with the other children of God. Remember, the change starts with you.

Can you think of a person or two within the body of Christ that you are having broken relationships with? Has God been prompting you to take any actions towards healing and reconciliation? As the first step you may start praying for that person. A lot of times as you start praying for the person you naturally don’t like, God will start changing your heart and giving you more compassion and grace towards him or her. Don’t delay to repair the broken channels in the body of Christ, it is a hard work, but such a rewarding  one!