Unity in the Family

It's one of the oldest tactics known to man: "divide and conquer." It's been used on the battlefield, in politics, and even as a method for overcoming household clutter. Ezekiel 11:19 says, "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them." Satan uses the tactic of dividing and conquering all the time. He understands that the best way to weaken believers is to get them to exhaust their energies fighting with and speaking cruelly about each other. When family or church members are divided, only the evil one wins.

This day you have been given is far too valuable to be wasted on arguments. Pray that God will unite your family and give you a shared vision for a life of love. Make your family and friendships indivisible by making kind words the hallmark of your life and learning to say "I'm sorry" early and often. Please do not ever privately, and certainly not publicly, cut down or insult your family, friends, or church members. Instead, pray for anyone you might be cross with, and should you ever have ill feelings toward someone, go immediately to them and work to reconcile.

Perhaps the deadliest weapon used to destroy relationships is our mouths. Psalm 34:13 says, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies." James 3:8 says, "No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." Let us dedicate ourselves to let First Baptist Church of Glennville be known as a place of compassion and kindness, where the hurt can be healed, and the lost will be loved. May we all work daily toward having only words of encouragement and grace, and strive to maintain unity with friends and family.

Your servant in Christ, Pastor Phillip