Word To The Wise: Don't Be A Fool!

Do you remember Mr. T?  Mr. T is an American actor known for his roles as B.A. Baracus in the 1980s TV series The A-Team, boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III, and his appearances as a professional wrestler in the WWF.  If there is one thing that Mr. T was famous for it was one phrase, “I pity the fool”!  Mr. T would say, “I pity the fool” to anyone who said or did anything that he thought was deserving of a whoopin’.  When Mr. T said, “I pity the fool” it was a warning to them that he was coming to punch their lights out.

The book of Proverbs expresses pity for the fool as well.  Foolishness is referred to 73 times in the book of Proverbs as a warning of the kind of person we do not want to be.  Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom.  Another term used to describe the foolish in Proverbs are the  “simple”. So, if wisdom is knowing and living life according to God’s way, what does it mean to be a fool?  A fool is someone who lives life INDEPENDENT of God’s way and arrogantly ignores wisdom.  God “pities the fool” who lives life in such a way!

READ:  Proverbs 1:7, 22

Here’s our WORD TO THE WISE for the week from the book of Proverbs (and Mr. T):  Don’t be a FOOL!  The wise pursue wisdom and instruction whereas fools “despise it”.  The wise pursue knowledge, whereas fools “hate it”.  Fools are characterized by a few things that we need to be aware of . . .

Fools are right in their OWN EYES (Prov. *12:15, 18:2, *28:26) – Do you find it easy or hard to admit when you are wrong?  HARD!  Having difficulty admitting we are wrong is a sign of foolishness in our lives because fools are always “right in their own eyes”.  A fool selfishly finds “wisdom” in their own personal thoughts and ideas.  A fool arrogantly denies the possibility that anyone else could have a wise thought or idea outside of themselves.  We will avoid foolishness when we can honestly admit that we are helplessly wrong and God is always right.

Fools are RECKLESS and CARELESS thinkers (Prov. 14:16) – As a parent, the question, “what were you thinking?” enters into my mind a lot.  When I find writing on a wall (or the side of our van) with permanent marker I have to ask, “what were you thinking?”  My mom asked me what I was thinking in college when I decided to jump off a train bridge into river for fun.  A fool is someone who does not put careful thought into their words or actions.  A fool will say and do whatever comes into their minds giving no thought to how reckless or destructive it might be.  We will avoid foolishness when we give first consideration to what God would have us say or do in any and every situation.

Fools ruin their lives with their MOUTH (Prov. *10:14, 15:2, 14, *18:6-7) – Most of us would never consider physically hurting ourselves (although there are those who cut or attempt suicide).  And yet, a fool is guilty of bringing harm upon themselves with some of the words that come out of their mouths.  Cutting and suicide are intentional efforts to cause ourselves pain or death, whereas a fool unintentionally “ruins” their life by using hurtful and destructive words they say to others.  James 3:6 says, “the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life.”  We will avoid the destructive consequences of foolishness if we guard the words of our mouths’ closely and speak only with the words and wisdom given to us by God.

CONCLUSION:

No one would want to be pitied by Mr. T!  No one wants to foolish.  And yet, if we are living life independent of God and arrogantly ignoring the godly wisdom of others, according to Proverbs, we are a fool.  A word to the wise, . . . DON’T BE A FOOL!   Let go of your selfish pride and humbly submit your life to knowing and living according to God’s way.

Word To the Wise

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “a word to the wise?”  “Word to the wise” is a phrase referring to advice or information given from one person to another by means of a subtle hint and yet clearly communicates the message.  For example, if I want to communicate to a friend that the zipper of their jeans is down I might or simply say the word, “zipper” or give them the zipper hand signal.  A word to the wise is one simple gesture or word which is sufficient to communicate an important message to another person.  If the message is heeded the recipient will avoid unnecessary suffering and embarrassment.

The book of Proverbs is God’s “word to the wise” to us.  Most of the book of Proverbs is written by King Solomon whom God had given a, “wise and discerning mind”.  When asked by God in a dream, “what shall I give you?”, rather than ask for long life, riches, or victory of his enemies, Solomon asked for wisdom and God gave it to him abundantly.  Solomon was so wise that people and kings traveled from all nations to hear his wisdom (1 Kings 3:3-14, 4:29-34).  Solomon’s wisdom came from God and in the book of Proverbs Solomon shares God’s wisdom with us!  Those who hear and listen to the wisdom in the book of Proverbs will gain practical insight into how to successfully live life.  I am going to give 10 words of wisdom in the next several weeks from the book of Proverbs, the first one is a major theme that runs throughout the book and is summarized best in . . .

READ:  Proverbs 4:7

Did you catch it?  WORD TO THE WISE:  Get WISDOM!  Doesn’t get a whole lot more straight forward than that!  In fact, so straight forward it seems kind of silly.  If Solomon could have said it in another way he probably would have said, “you need it”, “you have to have it”, “you cannot live without it!”  According to Solomon, there are NO OTHER priorities in life in front of gaining possession of wisdom.  So, what’s the big deal with wisdom?  Why do we need it?  Before we can answer those questions we have to answer the question, “What is it?”  Wisdom = Knowing and living life according to God’s ways (formula).

The Lord has made wisdom public KNOWLEDGE (Prov. 1:20-23) – For over 125 years the Coca-Cola Company has possessed knowledge that they DO NOT want anyone else to have.  What is it?  The secret formula for their world famous soda pop!  Coca-Cola has gone to extensive measures to make sure that knowledge of their secret formula does not become public knowledge.  Have you ever considered that there is a “secret formula” for how to live life?  What if someone possessed this “secret formula” and they kept it to themselves?  God possesses the “secret formula” for living life which the book of Proverbs calls WISDOM.  God is the creator of life and so he knows exactly how He intended it to be lived.  God does not want to withhold His “secret formula” of how to live life.  In fact, Proverbs is pretty clear that God’s wisdom is public knowledge (cf Deut. 30:11-20).  So, how come more of us do not possess God’s wisdom?

The Lord GIVES wisdom to all who PURSUE it (Prov. 2:1-10) – The secret formula of Coca-Cola is in a locked vault in Atlanta, Georgia.  If we wanted to obtain the secret formula of Coca-Cola we would need to know the code to unlock the vault.  God has a similar “code” if we are going to be given His wisdom.  According to Prov. 2:1-4 the “code” to possessing God’s wisdom is our pursuit of it, our desire to have it, our seeking after it!  God alone is the possessor of wisdom and He gives to anyone and everyone who recognizes its value and pursues it with a genuine heart (James 1:5).  

CONCLUSION:

We all need wisdom in order to live life in a way that is honoring and pleasing to God. Through King Solomon, God has made known His wisdom that will guide us down the right path in life.  Are you pursuing God’s wisdom in your life right now?  If not, a word to the wise, . . . GET WISDOM!

I've Lost My Unaccountable Mind!

Our culture is obsessed with reality television (although it is debatable whether any of reality television is really real).  The most popular reality show on television right now is “Duck Dynasty”.  Reality television allows us to observe the daily routine of life from the memorable to the mundane.  We even get to enjoy brief moments when individuals share the thoughts that are on their mind.  What if our entire life, the good and the bad, was lived in the watchful eye of a camera and publicly displayed for others to watch?  That would be embarrassing enough, but can you imagine having what goes through your mind scrutinized in the same way? 

Condemning the church in Thyatira for their sexual immorality Jesus says in Revelation 2:23, “I am He who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.”  God is constantly “tuned in” to the unseen reality of our lives and we will be held ACCOUNTABLE for what God finds in our MINDS!  God is searching deep into our minds to find thoughts of evil and sin.  In Ezekiel chapters 8-11God gives the prophet Ezekiel a view of “reality” in the house of Judah.  The cameras of God’s omniscience were rolling, and in a vision (not a tele-vision), God shows Ezekiel a “lowlight” film of sin that was going on in Jerusalem.

READ:  Ezekiel 8:1-3a

God searches with JEALOUSY over our sin (Ez. 8:3b-6) – Jealousy is a pretty familiar storyline in reality television, most evident in “The Bachelor”.  26 women compete for the affection of 1 man.  If that is not a recipe for some pretty intense jealousy I don’t know what is!  We experience jealousy when time, attention, and affection that is intended for us is given to another!  God desires the first and best of who we are and when it is given to someone or something else He is jealous (Exodus 20:1-5).  The Bible calls anything that we give more time, attention and affection to than God an idol.  When we worship idols it is an abomination to God and He is rightfully upset as a result of our unfaithfulness to Him. 

God searches and SEES the sin we commit in the DARK (Ez. 8:7-12) – “Survivor” is a reality show where contestants are isolated in the wild and try to survive while trying to avoid getting voted off.  It is common for participants to secretly scheme and plot in an attempt to eliminate others.  Because the cameras a rolling, we get to see the evil that is being planned with whispering in “the dark”.  When we act in secret and try to keep certain actions hidden we are living in darkness.  We think we are getting away with it because others don’t see us and we avoid getting caught.  But don’t be mistaken, God is ever-present and He sees our actions just as clearly in the dark.  We must not love places of darkness, instead we must come to the light where there is forgiveness.  Make no mistake, if we do not admit our own sin, it WILL be exposed by Jesus Christ (Luke 12:2-3; John 3:19-21; Rom. 2:16; 1 Cor. 4:5)!

God searches for those who SIGH and GROAN over sin (Ez. 9:1-6) – We don’t see too much sorrow and sadness over sin in reality television, and yet this is exactly the quality that God is searching our minds for.  God is merciful toward those who mourn over their sin (Mt. 5:4).  It is important to realize that God is NOT just looking for someone to destroy!  He is just as passionate about defending and upholding those who express sorrow over their sin as He is aggressively opposed to those who tolerate and willingly participate in sin.

God searches and KNOWS the things that come into our MINDS (Ez. 11:5-6) – “Big Brother” is a reality show which follows house guests living together 24 hours a day, isolated from the outside world but under constant surveillance with no privacy for three months. House guests go to a “Diary Room” and talk to the camera and explain what is on their mind to the viewers.  God does not need surveillance cameras to know what is going on in our life or inside our head.  Our lives are like an unedited, uncensored reality television show continually before our holy God.  God is fully aware of every thought, intention, and motivation that goes through our mind.  We may think that our mind is off limits, but in reality, . . . God knows!

CONCLUSION

Through Ezekiel’s experience of seeing into the inner lives of the nation of Israel we can see the importance losing our unaccountable mind.  We are responsible and will one day be held accountable what is on inside of our minds.  And just like the rest of God’s law, it reveals to us our desperate NEED for a Savior (Ps. 26:2).  Are you ready and willing to be held accountable for the “REALITY” of your heart and mind? 

I've Lost My Foolish Mind!

We do lots of things to make ourselves “wise”.  We study in school in order to earn diplomas and degrees to become wise.  We read books in order to educate ourselves on topics we want to be wise about.  We make decisions and come up with practical plans in hopes of solving personal and societal problems.  Do all of our noble efforts to fill our minds with facts and solve problems make us wise?  Intelligent?  Yes, maybe.  Wise?  No!  Most of us would be shocked to know that God considers all the worldly wisdom we obtain foolishness.  God doesn’t want us to be foolish, He wants us to be wise, we just need a different perspective on what wisdom is and how we go about obtaining it!   

READ: 1 Cor. 2:1-16

In order to have true WISDOM we need to obtain the MIND of CHRIST!  In verse 16 the apostle Paul claims that he and other believers have, “the mind of Christ.”  According to Paul, true wisdom is thinking the same thoughts as God.  How do we know if we are wise and have the mind of Christ?

The wise do not speak with LOFTY SPEECH or WORLDLY WISDOM (vss 1-2, 4) – We are all too familiar with persuasive arguments.  We hear “sales pitches” all of the time in commercials, from sales people, scientists, professors, and politicians.  These “wise” individuals offer convincing words that are well calculated in an effort to sway us to buy or believe in something.  Being truly wise reduces our method of persuasion down to one thing, . . . the message of Jesus Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:17-25)!  A wise person does not feel the necessity to persuade or convince, but to simply speak the truth.  We are to abandon worldly wisdom in order to proclaim the foolish message of the gospel. 

The wise recognize their own WEAKNESS and FEAR (vss 3-5) – Nobody likes to acknowledge or admit their weaknesses or fears.  It’s a little bit shocking to read in verse 3 that Paul was with the Corinthians in, “weakness, fear, and trembling.”  What we see as weakness and fear, God sees as a perfect opportunity for us to rely on the Holy Spirit and His power.  If this is true, then it is foolish to rely on our own worldly wisdom and it is wise to vulnerably allow God to display His power through our weakness and fear.  We should be ready and willing to serve in our areas of weakness or fear so that we do not depend on our own skills/abilities but on God.  Godly conviction and genuineness are what give us wisdom, not our own confidence and gifts.

The wise are aware of the HIDDEN SECRET of Jesus Christ (vss 6-10) – Who doesn’t want to hear a secret?  We all like to be in on information that others are not aware of.  Guess what?  Believers have a secret and we are supposed to share it . . . the secret is the person and message of Jesus Christ.  For all of our friends who are looking for wisdom, it is hidden in the person of Jesus.  We overlook the secret of Jesus when we try to become wise by doing things that are practical and “make sense” according to the world.  The world may consider us foolish, but by believing in and following Jesus Christ we have made ourselves wise (Col. 2:2-3)!

The wise have access into the MIND of GOD (vss 11-16) – If we wanted to get inside the mind of another person how might we do it?  Read their facebook posts, . . . blog entries, . . . journal or diary entries, etc.  As believers, through the Holy Spirit, we have access to the very mind and thoughts of God!  Possessing the Holy Spirit is like having the key to God’s personal journal or diary and being able to read His most intimate thoughts.  What makes God’s thoughts unique is that He is not ashamed of what is in His mind, in fact, He WANTS to share His mind with us!  He shares His mind with us so that we can have the same mind and thoughts that He does . . . therefore, “we have the mind of Christ!”

CONCLUSION:

Losing our foolish mind means letting the mind of the Master be the Master of our mind.  When we allow God’s higher thoughts to be our thoughts and allow His higher ways to be our ways we may appear foolish to the rest of the world, but we will have truly gained the wisdom we are looking for (Isaiah 55:8-9)!

I've Lost My Idle Mind!

A sprinter getting set in the blocks before a race.  A baseball player in the batter’s box waving his bat above home plate before he swings.  A football player getting down in a three point stance before the ball is hiked.  In these moments, athletes have one thing in common . . . they are preparing for action.  In these moments, an athlete is thinking about what they are going to do and how they are going to do it.  In these moments, an athlete is preparing themselves to explode into action.  An athlete does not prepare for nothing . . ., when the gun goes off, when the ball is pitched, or when the ball is hiked, an athlete does not relax and become idle.  They put all of their energy and effort into doing the action that they were preparing to do.  Their preparation is intended for a very specific purpose.  Much like an athlete, a Christian is preparing for specific action as well! 

READ: 1 Pet. 1:13-17

The Christian life is not a life of idleness, but a life of action.  The phrase in verse 13, “preparing your minds for action” literally means to “gird up the loins of your mind”.  Girding your loins means to, “gather up long loose robes around the waist and tuck them into a belt in preparation to run or some other physical action.”  Preparing our minds for action means we are getting ready to DO SOMETHING!  As a believer in Christ we prepare to ACT with our MINDS!  As believers what are we preparing to DO?

Be prepared to conduct your life with OBEDIENCE (vs 14) – In verse 14 Peter compares believers to an “obedient child”.  Without a loving parent present, a child will “ignorantly” do all kinds of wrong and hurtful behavior.  With no authority to teach and guide, a child will follow their selfish desires into whatever conduct they choose.  Children need to learn to obey their parents who can teach and train them to act in ways that are right.  Obedient children do not passively continue follow their selfish desires, but rather submit to a parent that knows what is right and best.  Preparing our minds for action means hearing and doing what God says because we trust with 100% confident that He knows what is good and best for our lives (Mt. 5:17-20; 1 Jn. 2:3-6, 5:3).

Be prepared to conduct your life with HOLINESS (vss 15-16) – The word “holy” in verse 15 means to be “set apart” or “separated”.  Believers are to conduct their lives differently from the rest of the world.  We are to turn from sin and pursue righteousness.  But where do we get our standard of what is right and wrong?  Our standard for right and wrong comes from the character and nature of God Himself who is holy.  We conduct ourselves with honesty in all situations because God is truthful and He does not lie (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18).  We conduct ourselves with love and kindness because God is loving and kind (1 John 4:7-8, 16).  We treat others with justice because God is just (Dt. 32:4).  As a believer, we must use our minds to prepare to live lives separated from sin and pursuing righteousness.  Preparing our minds for action means knowing and imitating God’s holy character in the conduct of our daily lives (Mt. 5:48).

Be prepared to conduct your life with FEAR (vs 17) – God has good deeds that He wants us to do as we sojourn through this life.  It is not fear of punishment, but our profound respect and awe of God which is the motivation for our good deeds.  We must fearfully monitor our life’s actions against God’s will knowing that He will ultimately judge whether our actions are good or not.  True reverence for God will inevitably express itself in good deeds and not idleness.  A life of idleness cannot produce good deeds and may reveal a lack of genuine relationship with God.  Preparing our minds for action means doing good deeds out of reverence for God (2 Cor. 7:1).

CONCLUSION

The Christian life is not one of idleness.  Believing in Jesus and doing nothing is not an option!  We must continually be prepared to obediently do whatever good that God calls us to do.  God saves us for the grand purpose of using our obedience, our holiness, and our good deeds to illuminate a dark and dying world with the good news of the gospel (Mt. 5:16).  Prepare your mind for ACTION!

I've Lost My Anxious Mind!

Do you have any “anxiety enemies”?  An “anxiety enemy” is someone, something, or a circumstance that causes worry or an unsettled state of mind in your life.   An “anxiety enemy” attacks our mind by bombarding us with a thought of the possibility of physical danger or personal misfortune.  An “anxiety enemy” often shows up in the form of the question, “what if”?  “What if I fail my algebra test?” “What if I don’t make the varsity team?”  “What if ___________ doesn’t like me?”  We can experience anxiety from almost every area of our lives and so we must find a way to survive the attacks of this mental enemy!

READ:  Philippians 4:4-7

ANXIETY is a real enemy that God is able to GUARD us from!  The word “guard” in verse 7 is a military term which means to “keep watch” or “protect” against a dangerous enemy!  No wonder so many people experience anxiety “attacks”.  Instead of allowing anxiety and worry to attack, capture, and hurt us, we are to prayerfully trust that God is defending us against whatever we are worried about.  What are some of the “anxiety enemies” that God’s peace is able to guard us from?

God’s peace guards us from the attacks of SATAN (Romans 16:20) – It’s easy to be anxious about Satan.  1 Peter 5:8 describes Satan as a, “roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  If that’s not a disturbing thought I don’t know what is.  We have an enemy who wants to chew us up and spit us out spiritually.  What’s even more disturbing is that he deceptively disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).  We don’t have to be anxious about or intimidated by Satan because the God of peace will eventually crush him under our feet!  Our best defense against Satan is not to avoid him but to always be in the presence of the One who is powerful enough to CRUSH him!

God’s peace guards us from feeling LONELY (Phil. 4:9) – All of us get anxious about being ALONE.  My worst memory of being alone was in Jr. High.  My best friend Troy and I were at my house alone when we heard a door close downstairs.  After going out the front door and seeing that not only the garage door but the door into the basement was open we were terrified.  Convinced that someone was in the house we attempted to overtake each room by entering with a scream and a baseball bat.  It ended up being no one (wind probably closed the door), but being alone with no adults was scary.  Loneliness hurts people in many different ways . . . lack/loss of intimate relationship with others, feelings of meaninglessness, nobody needs us or wants us.  The fear of being alone leaves many to suffer with low self-esteem, unhealthy dependence on others, despair, depression and in severe cases suicide.  We don’t have to be anxious when we are lonely because the God of peace is always with us!  With the God of peace we have a place of eternal acceptance and belonging.  When the relational world around you is absent, God promises He is present to guard your life from the anxiety of despair.

God’s peace guards us from feeling UNWORTHY (1 Thess. 5:23) – Upon arrival in heaven a man noticed that all the clocks had names under them.  He asked Peter, “what’s with all the clocks?”  Peter answered, “they are not clocks but sin meters”.  He noticed that Billy Graham’s hardly moved. The Pope’s seemed to be motionless as well.  Other well-known people’s meters moved very little.  The man asked Peter, “do I have a clock?” Peter replied, “it’s in the office, we use it as a fan.”  It’s easy to get anxious wondering if we’ve sinned TOO much in our lives.  Our problem before God is not the amount of our sins, but the fact that we are sinners.  We do not have to be anxious about our sin because God has forgiven us and He is in the process of sanctifying us and making us blameless.  Be encouraged, it is God who sanctifies and keeps us blameless, not us!

God’s peace guards us from feeling UNEQUIPPED to do His will (Hebrews 13:20-21) – We can be anxious if we feel unskilled, unprepared, or unequipped to do God’s will.  I’m sure Noah felt unequipped and anxious about building an ark.  Moses felt unequipped and anxious to speak to Pharoah.  It’s easy to think that if we are not a wonderful speaker, singer, or Bible scholar then we are not useful in the kingdom.  Anxiety can paralyze us and cause us to avoid or miss God’s will.  Whatever God calls us to do, He will equip us with every good thing we need to do it!  Our success in doing God’s will is not based on how well we function but our faithfulness to His calling.  We will be effective when we do God’s will and use what we have to serve Him.

CONCLUSION

Dr A.T. Pierson wrote, “There is what is called the "cushion of the sea”.  Down beneath the surface that is agitated by storms, and driven about with winds, there is a part of the sea that is never stirred. When we dredge the bottom and bring up the remains of animal and vegetable life we find that they give evidence of not having been disturbed in the least, for hundreds and thousands of years. The peace of God is that eternal calm which, like the cushion of the sea, lies far too deep down to be reached by any external trouble and disturbance; and he who enters into the presence of God, becomes partaker of that undisturbed and undisturbable calm.”

The peace of God is an eternal calm like the cushion of the sea.  It lies so deeply within the human heart that no external disturbance can reach it.  ANYONE who enters the presence of God becomes a partaker of that undisturbed and undisturbable calm!  Is. 26:3 says, “God will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”  To “lose our anxious mind” means to earnestly stay in God’s presence so we can be in a place of calm amidst all the disturbances of life.

I've Lost My Disagreeable Mind

The "Cha Cha Slide" is a song by DJ Casper that is frequently played at dances, parties, and weddings.   When the “Cha Cha Slide” is played a group of individuals dance and move in simultaneous unison.  Individuals listen for directions from the song, and as a result a group of 5, 10, 100, or 1,000,000 individuals can be simultaneously united together doing the same movements.  This song displays the unity a group of individuals can experience if they are all individually listening to a single voice.  Similarly, if a group of individuals are led by Christ, they will experience unity in their thinking, in their beliefs, and in the things they do together!

           

READ: 2 Cor. 13:11

Believers are able to AGREE with one another by being of ONE MIND!  Jesus made it clear when He departed from the earth that He wanted believers to be unified.  John 17:23 says that the desire of Jesus Christ was that we be, “perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”  When Christians are individually willing to “lose their minds” we have the ability to have sameness is thinking.  When we are led by ONE voice, the thoughts and ideas that exist inside our mind will become similar if not identical.  Why is it important for believers to have unity?  How do we get and maintain unity?

Unity results in AGREEMENT and not DIVISION (1 Cor. 1:10) – Have you ever been to a meeting and tried to decide something very simple?  It can take forever because everyone has a different opinion.  But as soon as someone with authority intervenes and makes a decision everyone can be on the same page.  God is our authority concerning all issues in life.  By listening to His voice as individuals we can avoid disagreement as a whole.  We do not need to come to conclusions together but simply obey His direction.  Divisions can only occur among Christians when individuals disagree with God.  It is extremely important that we individually be seeking God’s will so we can be in agreement and united together.

Unity compels people to meet one another’s NEEDS (Acts 4:32-35) – In the U.S. we are not so much in material need as emotional and social need.  We may not be around people lacking in material wealth, but we are surrounded by people who are poor in meaningful relationships.  What an opportunity to meet the needs of those we come in contact with . . . especially other believers.  When we identify a need that someone has we must offer whatever resources we have (money, time, a listening ear) to help meet that need.  To withhold ourselves from someone in need is to break the bond of unity that exists between us as believers.

God GIFTS everyone in order to progress one another toward unity (Eph. 4:11-13) – One of our goals in this life is maturity of faith.  We are each uniquely gifted so that we can mature each other to the same amount of faith. We must use our giftedness to mature others in their faith.  As we each mature together we become more and more united in our thinking and our purposes as a group.  It is much easier to accomplish something as a united whole than a small group of independent individuals.

Perfect unity is bound together by LOVE (Col. 3:14) – The one common thought that unites all believers is LOVE!  There will always be differences in opinion, conflicts are destined to arise, and opposition may never disappear.  The only thing that allows us to remain united and fills in the gaps of disagreement is love.  1 Cor. 3:8 says that, “love never fails”.  What a gracious character quality God has displayed for us so we can remain united.           

Conclusion:

Psalm 133:1 says, “how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”  It is evident that God loves to see His people live in harmony in accordance with His law.  The only way to gain the unity that is described in the Bible is if we as individuals are willing to “lose our disagreeable mind” and let God lead us individually and corporately.  Are you listening to God’s voice?  If not, you are probably experiencing conflict and division.  But, if you are, you are probably experiencing unity, harmony, and agreement with other believers!