Meet Braun Brown

I love to look at following Christ as a huge opportunity to stand out in a culture that needs to see a compelling story. Isn't it compelling when you see people stay committed to Christ through times of adversity or even times of abundance? How about when you see people love and give to others sacrificially, expecting nothing in return (yes, I am a guy who cries when I watch Extreme Home Makeover). Another compelling opportunity comes when we do the hard work of living in unity with others.  

Living in unity with others would be easy if it weren't for one small issue. That issue is me. James 4:1-2a (NIV) always reminds me of this when it says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it." Usually, our natural reaction when we are wronged is to retaliate rather than to reconcile. I often think, however, that our struggle with unity should not be complicated. If we would just take the opposite path of what our "natural" reaction is, we might find that it often lines up with Scripture. Think about all the opportunities that show themselves when we are committed to unity. Opportunities to understand, to forgive, to ask forgiveness, to share truth, to help others see their faults, to see the error of our own ways, and the list goes on and on.  

Psalm 133:1 (NIV) says, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" As we are reined in by the Spirit today, let us seize the opportunity to live in a way that God's Word says is good and pleasant. I love the description in verse 3a (NIV): "It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion." Mount Hermon was the highest mountain in Israel and was known for heavy dew that would help the land below bear fruit. May the Lord give you the strength and wisdom to dwell in unity today and bear fruit for His kingdom.