Unity isn’t a Uniform
In team sports, we wear uniforms, and they help at a glance know who is on who’s team. Playing soccer growing up, this gave me quick ability to pass the ball and advance the ball forward quickly...we all looked the same at a glance. The uniform let us know we are all on the same team, we looked alike, and it created a team unity.
This works in team sports but doesn’t translate to our more substantial, much more critical team as Christians. You see, unity isn’t a uniform, or maybe I should say, unity isn’t uniformity. As Christ-followers, we look different, have different cultures, backgrounds, beliefs, opinions, and we often wear different “life” uniforms. If we approach Christianity like a team sport, we will miss the point of Christ-focused Unity and find ourselves engaging in debates, arguing overs non-essentials, and allowing our opinions to fracture relationships and unity itself.
“Offer an open hand of fellowship to welcome every true believer, even though their faith may be weak and immature. And refuse to engage in debates with them concerning nothing more than opinions.” - Romans 14:1 TPT
In Romans 14, Paul hammers this point home to the strong in faith and the weak in faith. Paul pushes all of us to move beyond judging and fighting over the non-essentials, or as he puts it; opinions or “disputable” matters.
So, right now, you might be asking what the difference between essential beliefs and non-essential beliefs is? Disputable and non-disputable matters? Well, he covers that throughout chapter 14. Dive in and see for yourself how he makes this point. I will put it this way, if the Bible isn’t crystal clear on the topic, then it's a non-essential, and we shouldn’t argue over it and split relationships because of it.
I loved how Paul talked about the Sabbath, a commandment from God to treat a day holy and set apart for God. This is a perfect example, God was clear we should do it, but He wasn’t clear what day of the week this should be.
“One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his mind.” - Romans 14:5 AMPC
I like how the TPT said this as well:
“There is nothing wrong with having different personal convictions about such matters.” - Romans 14:5b TPT
Your opinion is okay, and what you have personal convictions about is fine; but please realize it’s your conviction, not someone else’s. When we are camping out in these non-essentials and disputable matters, we MUST be cautious about casting judgment, arguing and bringing unnecessary energy around topics that don’t matter. Sure, it might matter to you and the uniform that you are wearing, but that uniform isn’t representative of Christ’s team, it is your team and do not confuse the two.
Can you guess how Paul wraps up this chapter? He wraps it up to point us to love and to walk our faith journey loving others. Let this punch you in the gut when you fill in the blank - “Stop ruining the work of God by insisting on your own opinions about ___________!”
“So then, make it your top priority to live a life of peace with harmony in your relationships, eagerly seeking to strengthen and encourage one another. Stop ruining the work of God by insisting on your own opinions about food. You can eat anything you want, but it is wrong to deliberately cause someone to be offended over what you eat.” - Romans 14:19-20 TPT
What is your fill in the blank? What is your uniform that you are putting on that is causing you to cast judgment and play pretend unity? I think it’s time for all of us to take off our uniform of debatable and put on true unity, a unity that is solely focused on Christ.