Somedays life is just hard. The believers hearing 1 John were given a reminder that their faith in Jesus is meant to be a foundation that they can lean on, trust in, and stand on no matter what life sends their way. That learning about Jesus and growing in their faith is wonderful and central, but not to fall into a trap of thinking that their faith rests in their head, but instead rests in the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.
In Ephesians we are told that unity among Christians is a gift from God. In fact this passage speaks about unity, among other things that are part of the calling that we have been given by God. In a world that has no shortage of polarization, we will reflect on the call God has placed in our lives that includes a life of unity among believers.
In a world where the phrase “like minded” gets tossed around a lot, we go to these verses to hear biblically what like-minded can look like. That unity is found in humility, love, listening, and extending grace. Different than our world’s picture of bold loud speech, inflammatory posts to social media, and headlines that drive clicks.
We know that our muscles grow and strength through resistance and challenge. As a pastor I hear the same from people, the seasons of their faith that are most formative, are often ones filled with challenges. Part of growing and stretching ourselves, is leaning into our faith with a sense of boldness. Not due to overconfidence, but trust in the one who is sending us.