There is no limit to what God can and will do through us when we are completely reliant on Him, dependent on others, pure of heart soul and mind, with the sole purpose of bringing glory to God.
Living in unity in our marriage or on our team is some of the hardest work we do.
Why is it so difficult?
To live in unity, at times we must give in to others’ decisions, opinions, ways of doing things, even their way of doing life. The closer we are to people, the harder it is. Yet this is what we are called to do.
To live in unity, we must work in harmony. The apostle Peter wrote about this in 1 Peter:
“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things.” 1 Peter 3:8-12 MSG
Singing in Harmony
When I met my wife Carol, we were both in our first year of Bible school. She helped form a singing group and invited me to join. The group was called: “The Spirits Voice”. We sang in harmony with the accompaniment of several instruments.
To sing in harmony, one must listen to the voices around you. It means those who sing in parts, alto, tenor, bass etc., come in under soprano, the lead voice. You cannot sing in harmony only hearing your own voice. It requires singing gently enough to hear others, yet strong enough to equal their volume.
The goal of singing in harmony is for the listener to hear a beautiful sound of mixed voices blending together where no one voice sticks out.
Singing in harmony is truly a gift from God. As singers we received much of our reward during practice when it all came together, as well, of course, during performance. Often we would look at each other, waiting for certain cues as well as the encouragement of smiles and nods. Smiling while we sang helped bring our harmony together.
Unity & Harmony
Unity is defined as the state of being one; oneness, a whole or totality as combining all its parts into one.
Living, working or singing in harmony comes at quite a cost. It means:
- we are not the object of attention
- we submit to others
- we are focused on the greater good rather than our solo performance
- we put others first
- we give in
- we are quiet and good listeners when others talk
- we voice our opinions
- we offer our best
- we are heard
- we work hard
- we press our point
- we hold firm to what we believe and value
To achieve unity, we work in harmony. To work in harmony, we take the same approach as singing. In our work, we listen to those around us, seeking to serve them for the greater/better outcome. In harmony there is no prima donna. No one voice sticks out. Even the lead melody voice blends in with the others. Often soprano keeps us on pitch if we are singing “a cappella”.
Harmony is defined as agreement, accord, harmonious relations; a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.
Harmony and unity are costly, yet very worthwhile. It is SO worth it. In the long run we accomplish more together than when we get our own way and serve our own agenda.
Closing Thoughts
Recently, a colleague called me to share how much they appreciated the MORE Network. They talked about humility, harmony, listening to each other, honoring one another, and, appreciating all are respected, honored, and listened to, both women and men. All to God’s praise and glory.
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”” 1 Peter 3:8-12 ESV
One final thought. David, who later became King David, was on the run from King Saul. He wrote Psalm 34 after escaping with his life through very difficult circumstances. In this Psalm is a wisdom section from which the apostle Peter quotes.
“What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.” Psalm 34:12-16 ESV
I praise God for the group of beautiful people He has chosen for me to serve with.
As we desire unity, we sing in harmony together, focusing on the Great I AM.
Paul Dyck is the National Team Leader for the MORE Network, a Canada-wide collaborative supporting cross-cultural workers & MKs in transition. Paul fills the role of Ministry Ambassador and Champion across Canada, working with church & mission leaders involved with caring for cross-cultural workers & MKs. Paul is an MK and has experience in Member Care, Pastoring, Banking and Business Leadership. Paul & his wife Carol life in Abbotsford, BC.