It is your job to protect the unity of your church. Unity in the church is so important that the New Testament gives more attention to it than to either heaven or hell. Unity is the soul of fellowship. It is the essence, the core, of how God intends for us to experience life together in his church.

Our supreme model for unity is the Trinity.

Focus on what we have in common, not our differences.
As believers we share one Lord, one hope, one faith, the same salvation, the same life, and the same future. These are the issues that we should concentrate on.

Be realistic in your expectations.
Don’t become discouraged by the gap between the ideal and your church. Rather than being shocked and surprised, we must remember that the church is made up of real sinners, including ourselves. If a church must be perfect to satisfy you, it won’t accept you, because you're not perfect! Other believers will disappoint you and let you down. But there is no perfect church to escape to. Every church has its own set of weaknesses and problems.

Choose to encourage rather than criticize.

Any time we spend comparing or criticizing other believers is time that should have been spent building the unity of our fellowship.

What are you doing personally to make your church family more warm and loving?

Refuse to listen to gossip.
It is sad that in God's flock, the greatest wounds usually come from other sheep, not wolves. Don’t spreading gossip, nor listen to it, if you want to protect your church.

Support your pastor and leaders.
There are no perfect leaders, but God gives leaders the responsibility and the authority to maintain the unity of the church. They're are given the impossible task of trying to make everyone happy, which even Jesus could not do! We protect the fellowship when we honor those who serve us by leading. Pastors and elders need our prayers, encouragement, appreciation, and love. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery.

 

Question to Consider:

What am I personally doing to protect unity in my church family right now?

 

Verse to Remember:

Let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony and the growth of our fellowship together.

Romans 14:19