It is SO easy to be in harmony with oneself. I have found that when living alone almost everything went my way and harmony existed. I think anyone that has lived alone can agree this is true. But, what happens when we live with family, a friend, or a spouse? Harmony can go straight out the window and under the house.
We start seeing things in other people that we don’t like. We look at people sideways when they do something different from the way we might, and yep, we might even judge. Eek! It’s SO easy for us to fall into this trap and not realize it. I’ve been there, have you?
In the beginning, the divine plan was for us to live in harmony with ALL people. After all, each of us is the Creator’s creation and made in His likeness. In today’s culture, we see married couples criticizing, injuring, and killing one another with words, fists, and even guns. We see young teens estranged from their parents hiding in wait for the chance to kill them. And we often learn of someone who was angry and went on a shooting rampage, killing many. What happened to the divine plan of living in harmony? At the very least, how can we change the way things are and bring our personal lives closer to what our Heavenly Father planned?
Isn’t it Great We Have a Loving Heavenly Father Who Addresses This For Us?
We have a God who loves us so much that He established a redemption plan for us, through Jesus. A friend of mine was telling me about his project focused on Philippians 4:8. It got me thinking. How many times as Christians do we have unhealthy thoughts about our family members, friends, neighbors, and employers, etc.?
Early in my faith, I struggled to think good thoughts of those who “aren’t like me or don’t do things the way I might.” Do you struggle with that too? When a close friend told me I needed to hang out with people different than me, I listened. She said, Allison, there are green, red, blue, and yellow dot people.” And that sent me on a journey of discovery. I searched out those colored people I had not heard of and began seeking what Jesus has to say about my flaw and how I could overcome it. I learned three things:
- Where I criticize, I am in need;
- When I judge, I have a wound in my own heart that needs healing;
- When I speak ill of or call others names, I have fallen short and forgotten that all people are created in the image our Heavenly Father.
The scriptures teach us we are set free from the power of sin through the cleansing blood of Jesus and the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Knowing this is one thing. Living it out is another. We rarely stop criticizing, judging, or speaking negatively about others or ourselves in one moment. It’s an inside out process. I’m so thankful we have grace as we learn and our minds are being renewed. So how do we renew our minds?
When Paul is taught about unity and one mind, he was addressing those whom He loved in the Church at Philippi. And he is offering a final exhortation on how to be steadfast and unified. Below are three exhortations from verses 4,5, and 6:
- Rejoice in the Lord
- Be Gentle; gentleness is of the Lord
- Pray and petition with thankfulness about everything instead of being anxious
In verse 8, we believers are exhorted to think about these things:
- Things that are True
- Things that are Noble
- Things that are Right
- Things that are Pure
- Things that are Lovely
- Things that are Admirable
- Anything that is Excellent
- Anything that is Praiseworthy
He even went as far as to tell us to watch Him and put into action whatever we have received, heard, or seen through/from Jesus. But we are human, right? And it is hard, right? Yes. It is. But, we are told through the scriptures that we can do all things through Christ. How does that work?
As we yield ourselves to the Spirit, He will lead us to take on the loving, harmonious mindset, and character of Jesus. This is where He teaches each of us to be responsible in ALL our thoughts, words, and actions.
Having a renewed mind changes your thoughts and words. Renewed minds create renewed words that create renewed actions. How can that happen? Because God’s word is alive and active. It’s sharper than any double-edged sword, and it divides the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of our heart.
It’s only through God’s loving grace we begin to create unity as we take every thought that enters our mind captive, stay connected to Jesus and the Scriptures. The greatest way to unity is through love. God’s love. His unity. His harmony – peace.
As Christians, our call is to be in harmony and in peace with all people, when possible.
Are we yielding our hearts and minds to take the higher road so the lower way can be put away?
Here is what the ancient text says about all this:
Wear your battle clothes in your heart, mind, body, and soul! Think it, speak it, and live it daily. The sword of the Word will stand and nothing, not even the gates of hell, can stand against it. This will get us closer to what our loving Heavenly Father is calling us to be.
“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”
1 Peter 3:8-9 KJV
Paul and many others received the revelation of love from Jesus. People today are still receiving this revelation of love. When Jesus revealed the truth about love to me, I was brokenhearted and in desperation. My personal experience is that revelations can come in the most broken, desperate, and lonely circumstances of our lives.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18
We are all invited to come and learn from Him. If you are questioning whether you know genuine love and find yourself in relationships with unsafe people without an understanding of healthy boundaries, do these two things right away:
- Invite Jesus to teach you through His Word
- Connect with those who know His love with a desire to help others
Our Heavenly Father promises that wherever we find ourselves when we ask for wisdom, He will answer. He is near to all who call on Him and His heart is to teach us to live and love well.
I drove by a Kiosk in front of a church building the other day that read:
Go ahead, love everyone. I’ll work it out later!
Love, God
I want to do my best!