As Women of the Way, we seek Unity in the Body as we focus on Who unites us rather than What divides us.

We are One Body with many parts. We are One Church with many voices.

Join me in welcoming Laura Mayer as she shares her voice on Unity.

Unity Looks a lot Like Surrender

Prayers of Surrender

“Father, what is Your heart? How do you view what our world is experiencing right now?”
“Lord, send revival. Help your Church to be effective in reaching the lost.”
“God, I know you love all your children. It breaks my heart to see the division and hatred spewing from the offended hearts of Your own.”

The above phrases are all prayers I’ve prayed over the past several months. Our world feels as though it’s spinning out of control and centrifugal force is pulling people apart. It reminds me of the old-fashioned merry-go-rounds on playgrounds. Do you remember how fun it was to try to spin them as fast as you could- maybe enough to throw your friends off? Or how tight you had to hang on the metal bars so your friends didn’t throw you off?

Life is like a Merry-go-round

Merry-go-rounds were one of my favorite things.

I remember when I finally figured out the closer I stayed to center, the less pull I felt and the less effort I had to spend in order to hang on. The opposite was also true. The further from center I went, and the closer to the edges I got, the harder it was to hang on. And sadly, centrifugal force often won.

I feel as though that picture of the merry-go-round is indicative of the Body of Christ right now.

Staying“center” isn’t meant to point to a certain political position or views on mask mandates, no, it refers to keeping Christ the focus and center of everything we do.

This includes our conversations,social media posts, and secret motives of our hearts. This includes our beliefs and bias, assumptions of others and making idols of our own doctrines for doctrines sake.

Keeping our eyes on Jesus

Staying in the center means keeping our eyes on Jesus, and our hearts postured to hear His voice in our hearts because our hearts aren’t cluttered with all
the other messages swirling around.
I’ve spent much time searching my own heart over the past few months, and I find myself continually asking the Lord to search my heart, and uproot any unclean thing in me.

Why?

Because more than anything I want to be productive for the Kingdom of God, and I’m willing to lay down anything that would hinder that.
I believe with all my heart that we are at the threshold of revival like we’ve never seen before. People have cried out, for years, for God to heal our land, and the world is so hungry for what’s real and authentic. But this revival will require the Body of Christ to actually BE the Body of Christ- working together as brothers and sisters and will require us living and loving like Jesus. This revival will require unity.

Revival will require Unity

Unity in the body of Christ?

It’s a topic we’ve heard over and over, and one we nod our heads to and give
an “amen” to when our preacher shares the message. We verbally agree with phrases like “We’re all one Body with many parts,” or “God created all men equal,” or “How beautiful it is when brethren dwell together in unity.”

But we sit in our pews with a sense of division looming in our hearts…we don’t feel
connected. We seem to be prone to first see what’s different about the other person rather than what’s the same.

Does unity require us to all be the same, look the same, sound the same, or align our different denominational beliefs the exact same? Goodness, if that’s the case will we ever achieve the unity the Bible speaks about? After all, it seems impossible to find two members of the exact same congregation who believe the exact same on every subject much less the entire Body of Christ.

No, I believe unity is much deeper than that.

Unity comes, not when we focus on the external, but when we focus on the eternal and unite under the same purpose. I believe that purpose boils down to this-

To share Jesus with the world!

The Apostle Paul stated it in the most profound yet simple way when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:2,
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Unity summed up in one statement

His words sum up our mission, as the Body of Christ, completely.

Paul had much he could have said or explained or debated. But all of that took a backseat to the main truth that his mission was to simply preach that Jesus came to save mankind.

What else could compare?

The Lord has really challenged me to lay down anything I previously identified with at the foot of the cross. No other identity matters because no other identity can supply my life, or this world, with what is needed. Being male or female, black or white (or any beautiful shade in between), Republican, Democrat, or Independent, Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ, or Pentecostal- none of these things get to be higher in my life than Jesus and my identity in Him.

So you see, true unity looks a lot like surrender.

It’s laying down our own agendas to that of the Gospel.

Unity is a surrender of all the other titles we wear, and laying them at the foot of the Cross, so that together we can preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified to save the world!

~Laura

Do you want to share your WoW Voice on Unity in the Body of Christ?

Email Amy at womenofthewaytn@gmail.com

  Laura is the founder of Laura Mayer Ministries where she ministers through speaking engagements, women’s conferences, written blog articles, social media posts, and most recently through her own weekly podcast.

In additions to leading her own ministry, Laura is the Client Development Director at Crossroads Pregnancy Clinic and is the Co-Founder and Director of Clothe Our Kids.

Laura and her husband Bryan live in Fayetteville, TN where they raise their 3 daughters; Annalea, Sarah, and Claire.

You can connect with Laura here:

The Laura Mayer Podcast- available on all your favorite podcast listening apps