Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 8-5-21

Romans 15:1-6 (TPT) Love Is the Key to Unity
15 Now, those who are mature [powerful] in their faith can easily be recognized, for they don’t live to please themselves but have learned to patiently embrace others in their immaturity. 2 Our goal must be to empower others to do what is right and good for them, and to bring them into spiritual maturity. 3 For not even the most powerful one of all, the Anointed One [Christ], lived to please himself. His life fulfilled the Scripture that says: ‘All the insults of those who insulted you fall upon me.’

4 Whatever was written beforehand is meant to instruct us in how to live. The Scriptures impart to us encouragement and inspiration so that we can live in hope and endure all things.

5 Now may God, the source of great endurance and comfort, grace you with unity among yourselves, which flows from your relationship with Jesus, the Anointed One [that you may value one another equally in Jesus]. 6 Then, with a unanimous rush of passion, you will with one voice glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This morning’s passage presses me to ask myself, “Is how I am living my life today more about pleasing myself or pleasing my Lord?” Our greatest lesson in life, as the heavenly Father’s children, is to delight ourselves in the LORD, because he will respond by giving us the desires of our hearts; he knows what will bring us joy, so he sends grace to accomplish it (Ps. 37:4). If all believers are living for the delight of the Lord (loving him with our whole being) it will be a place of ongoing and ever expanding unity and victory for the Father’s glory.

Let’s just explore the power of unity for a minute. When believers come together in worship—as we delight ourselves in the Lord—the Spirit of the Lord is exalted, enthroned and empowered. If we come together and instead of delighting in the Lord we choose to serve a bickering, offended, and critical spirit in our flesh, we have not exalted, enthroned, or empowered anyone but ourselves.

This is why the Apostle Paul calls for believers to become spiritually mature, so we can know how to fight Satan at his accusing and destructive game. We must love and delight in the Lord, so we can ALL enjoy the worship gathering [communion] and feast at heaven’s table. Communion is really about love and humility before God, as well as love and service to one another. Therefore, we will have to extend patience and mercy to those who are spiritually immature, but live in an enduring way that empowers others toward delighting in the Lord. Through our enduring love, we will release a unanimous rush of passion and praise! My friends, like Christ, we must live to please the Father, by how we love one another.

Prayer: Father, thank you for today’s lesson about love and unity. Help me and all your children to know and experience the power of unity in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.