WoP2019 | DAY 6 | UNITY in MISSION

In WEEK OF PRAYER
January 18, 2019

In Ephesians 4:1 and 4 we are told of the vocation or mission to which we have been called, in unity with those who share our same hope. That is, all believers have the ministry of reconciliation by which, as ambassadors in Christ’s name, we must plead with others to become reconciled with God (2 Cor. 5: 18-20). In order to accomplish any joint mission, there must be a team of people working in unity, order and coordination so that everything works. An example would be a team of medical staff who is going to perform difficult surgery. Their mission is to save a life and, to do so, there usually is a surgeon, several assistants, someone in charge of the medical equipment, an anaesthetist, an assistant anaesthetist, and a rotating nurse. All the members of this team will work united and coordinated, each fulfilling their role until the operation has concluded. What would happen if the medical team started to argue over the different protocols halfway through the operation, if hours went by and they reached no agreement? Or if the person in charge of the equipment did not perform his job due to these discrepancies or the surgeon decided to leave in the midst of surgery? If any of these situations took place in a delicate operation, the patient could die and the staff would be held accountable. Unfortunately, instead of working as part of a team in order to achieve the mission of creating disciples, we Christians often argue, breaking unity because of not accepting the diversity that exists among ourselves. As described by the composer Marcos Vidal, “some believe in prophecies and others don’t, some preach faith and others love, one speaks in tongues and another brags of his virtue, and the world dies without seeing the light”. We are not indispensable in order to fulfill God’s mission, but He has given us the privilege and the command to be a part of it. In John 17:18, Jesus says “As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world”. All Christians are sent with a mission: that people believe in Jesus Christ and by believing they have life in His name. This mission is compulsory, it’s transcendental, and it’s common to all God’s people. The unity of God’s people is not an option or an alternative. It’s necessary to reach the lost. And the Devil is always trying to destroy the unity that Jesus longs for: that believers become one as He is one with the Father (John 17: 21). May we leave aside our denominational differences, our diverse opinions and ways of doing things! May we respond in unity to our calling in order to complete our mission as a Church: to make the Gospel of salvation and eternal life in Jesus Christ reach those who are lost!

Natanael Montes

Thanksgiving:

Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of being able to work in the best company in the world. Thank you for your call, your training and encouragement when we need it.