Unity – You & I Tie

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord commanded the blessing – Life forevermore.” (Psalm 133:1-3)

It is impossible to produce unity alone. There is an infinite variety rope fabrics, sizes, colors, and weavings. And there are many different types of knots with which bind them together. There are some places where we fit and feel at home and others where we feel like outsiders. Here is how we should find our place in life.

1. Unity begins by recognizing authority.

David is the man God inspired to write this song. He was also the king of Israel. The people understood it was God who anointed him to be king. It is impossible to align ourselves properly if we do not recognize God-given authority.

The majority of people believe they are under authority, but how do we know if this is true? Look at our attitude toward authority. Do we respect it or resent it? We are not all equal. Each of us has different gifts and positions which make us unique. We are one of a kind. Submission to authority is the key. Without recognizing and submitting to the authorities God has placed in our lives we will never come into unity. 

2. Unity is the product of alignment.

Life is a journey. We are all going somewhere. Where are we going? Alignment determines our destination. We must align ourselves with those who are in authority who can help us fulfill our destiny. It does make a difference whom we marry, and it makes a difference whom we call “Pastor.” Show me your friends, and I will show you your future. Without the proper authorities in our lives, we will never reach the place where God has ultimately determined for us to be.

3. Unity promotes an attitude.

We all have an attitude. It is the spirit we carry. We develop attitudes in accordance with the people with whom we chose to align ourselves. This is what makes our personal relationships so important. We must choose our friends wisely. 

Our attitude ultimately determines our altitude. We cannot fly high with a negative attitude. We cannot soar carrying extra baggage. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) There are things which are not sinful, but they are weights which exhaust us from carrying them. We must lay aside everything which does not help us reach our destiny. Don’t waste energy carrying useless weights.

4. Unity attracts the anointing.

The anointing oil symbolizes of the presence of God upon our lives. Unity begins with leadership. It is the product of maturity. The anointing oil was poured on the High Priest’s head and flowed down to his beard. Boys don’t grow beards. There is no such thing as immature unity.

Note that: Honor goes upward while the anointing flows down. When we give God the honor He deserves, He gives us His presence. 

In a similar way that a stream of water is purified as it flows over the rocks mixing with fresh oxygen, as the anointing flows through our lives it purifies us. As the Spirit of God flows through our lives it removes things which should not be there causing us to become more Christ-like. The presence of God was never intended to be reserved for us; it was intended to be given away. The Holy Spirit flows like a river rather than sitting like a reservoir. We must learn to flow with the Spirit.  

Submission, alignment, and attitude all increase our anointing. 

5. Unity creates an atmosphere.

It is like the dew. “Descending on the mountains of Zion.” Grace always descends. 

Like fingers pointed into the sky, the mountains capture the dew of heaven. In the same way, unity captures the presence of God. 

Unity produces networks in our lives. The networks produce strength. Two are stronger than one. We are stronger when we are tied together. 

In an amazing way, life and liberty are the fruit of being properly united with godly people. “There the Lord commanded the blessing – life forevermore.” Unity is the place called “there” and is profitable both in this life and in the life to come. 

We cannot fulfill our destiny alone!