Posted on by sufficientgrace4u

One Team — God’s team

I am an athlete. I love competition. If I am on a team, I am loyal to that team and instantly an “enemy” to anyone not on my team. This works well in athletics. Not so well in life.

But it seems lately that the world is dividing up into teams, We are drawing sides. We are becoming enemies to those not on our team. Everything seems divisive. I do not agree with everything that the media reports or others say. But I have become afraid to speak. Afraid to create enemies. I don’t know what team I am on and don’t really want to be on any of the teams forming. It is all too divisive. We have lost our focus. We are focused on the past rather than the future. We are focused on the sins of a few rather than the gifts of many. We categorize whole groups of people based on the acts of a few. We focus on categories and teams of people rather than individuals, making everything a race issue, a sex issue, a political issue. We focus on the things of the world rather than God. And as a result we are failing! As a nation, as a people, as God’s children.

We are in fact one team. God’s team. We are all God’s children. Sisters and brothers. If we stop and focus on God. Focus on our real purpose on earth. Stop listening to the media and Facebook, and Twitter. Listen to God. Listen to each other as individuals, as fellow children of God — not members of any other team or race, or political party, we will change the world.

In Galatians, St. Paul told the people, 2000 years ago:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

Today, we should read this as: There is neither Black nor White, there is neither Republican nor Democrat, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

I pray that we can put away our labels. Put away our teams. Put away the division. We are not enemies or foes. We are all children of God. One team. Let’s focus on God together and pray.

Dear Lord,

We are hurting. We are lost. We have taken our eyes off of you and forgotten that we are all one in your eyes. We are all created for your good. We are all your children, sisters and brothers. Lord, help me and all of my sisters and brothers to focus our attention back on you. Help us to put away the pettiness, to put away the hate, to put away the things that separate us and instead focus on the one thing that unites us. The one truth in all of our lives: You!

Lord, we need you. Please help me and everyone in this great country that was founded on a faith in you, to find you once again. Bring us together in the peace that can only be found through you. You are my God. You are great indeed. Help us to stop lauding historical figures, politicians and others. You alone are worthy of praise.

Posted on by sufficientgrace4u · 2 Comments

Proclamation

I am done with the labels of the world.  I am done with being pigeon holed into a man-made category or group.  I no longer want to identify or segregate myself into divisions that we create.  I am done with picking sides.  I am neither a Republican, nor a Democrat.  I am neither a Patriot, nor a Ram.  I am not American or German or French or English.  I am neither a man, nor a feminist.  I am not white or black or Hispanic or Asian. I am neither clergy, nor laity.  Our human “teams” are wrong.  We are fighting the wrong battles.  We are playing the wrong game.  We are fighting against each other instead of helping each other reach the ultimate goal that we all should share. I do not fully agree with any side and yet I easily get swept up on one team, angry, or even hating, the other team. No more!  Let this be my proclamation.

I am a child of God.  I am no longer going to conform my words or actions to any group other than the one God has called me to be.  God has not chosen one political party.  God has not chosen one country.  God has chosen you and me.

Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. For by the grace given to me I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than one ought to think, but to think soberly, each according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned.  For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another.

Romans 12:2-5

Lord,

Your team is the only team I want to be on.  Your side is the only side I want to take.  Help me not to get swept up in the “teams” and “sides” of this age.  Help me not to try to fit in.  I belong to you and you alone.  Help me to uplift and unite rather than split and divide into teams or sides.  Guide me to your will and to seek only what is good and pleasing to you.