Unity Seed – Embrace Diversity: The One Spirit to Drink

Key Verse

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NIV)

Short Reflection

This is the last post in our “All for One” discipleship blog series. It’s been a powerful year wherein I have been reminded often at how much the Bible prioritizes unity. More than once I have had to repent of my divisive, self-centric, culture-centric ways. It’s been a year wherein I have celebrated the goodness and mercy of God and of many others towards me.

So, in the midst of all of our differences, what is it really going to take for us to answer Jesus’ prayer and become “All for One”? I have concluded it is going to take something far greater than any one of us or all of us put together are capable of achieving on our own. It is going to take drinking of God’s Spirit.

I am guessing that there is little that the Holy Spirit would want more than for all of us to become unified in being “All for One”. You have to love The Trinity! They are all constantly looking to serve and glory the other. The Spirit is passionate about pointing us to Jesus, reminding us what Jesus would have us to do, and then giving us the power (beyond what we otherwise have) to do it. Our differences are so petty compared to what we have in common in Christ. In following Him, we signed up for total surrender. We found the treasure in the field. We who are first in this world will, in great joy, embrace becoming last so that those who are last can become first. That’s exactly what Jesus did, and He calls us to follow Him.

So, let us drink of that Spirit.

The year ahead will bring us to the theme of “Perfect Peace” and this blog will continue in March 2021 in looking at what Perfect Peace means – peace with God, peace with each other, and peace within. We will explore the concept of “Shalom”. Please join us on the Path to Perfect Peace.

Lord, let this reader and I be “All for One” – willing to drink of the Spirit and joyfully giving up everything so that we can become more like Jesus.

This is the fifth in the “Embrace Diversity” series of blog posts, and the last in our overall “All for One” series.