Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, Dec 29th

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado “the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”   December  29 Keep Unity   May the Lord lead your hearts into God's love and Christ's patience. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NCV)   "All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other" (John 13:35). Stop and think about this verse for a minute. Could it be that unity is the key to reaching the world for Christ? If unity is the key to evangelism, shouldn't it have precedence in our prayers? Should we, as Paul said, "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3 NIV)? If unity matters to God, then shouldn't unity matter to us? If unity is a priority in heaven, then shouldn't it be a priority on earth? Nowhere, by the way, are we told to build unity. We are told simply to keep unity. From God's perspective there is but "one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16). Unity does not need to be created; it simply needs to be protected. How do we do that?... Does that mean we compromise our convictions? No. Does that mean we abandon the truths we cherish? No. But it does mean we look long and hard at the attitudes we carry.     From: In the Grip of Grace Copyright (Word Publishing, 1996) Max Lucado