For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
1 Corinthians 12:13-14 NIV
We are stepping into a month of prayer for our military, and we have much to pray for, much to reflect on, much to learn!
When the military is depicted in popular movies or tv shows, we frequently see images of units marching in step together and military members all dressed alike in their uniforms.
These images evoke a powerful sense of oneness – one group and one mission, made up of many individual people.
Now, imagine if comparison crept into our military. If a pilot proclaimed everyone should be a pilot, suddenly there would be no one to refuel and fix the planes, no one to direct the flight plans, and no one on the ground to provide detailed information. In this scenario, if every military member had the exact same job, the mission couldn’t be accomplished, and the military would become ineffective! All because of comparison.
That is why the roughly 1.33 million U.S. military members each have unique jobs, training, and tasks – to be effective in fulfilling their responsibilities as they work together to complete their missions, as one.
The same is true in the Church. We see a clear picture of God’s design for oneness and His disdain for comparison throughout Scripture.
The early believers in Corinth were clearly dealing with comparison issues, and the Apostle Paul gave a clear example of why comparison robs us of the oneness that God intends in 1 Corinthians 12:7-20, “If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
Comparison causes us to surrender our joy and derails our effectiveness.
When we compare ourselves to others, whether in a more positive or a more negative light, we surrender our Holy Spirit-given joy and disregard God’s directives to be one body with fellow believers, excelling in our individual gifts and callings to propel the overall mission of building the Kingdom of God.
We must safeguard our oneness in Christ. Just as Paul described, we do this by honoring one another’s gifts and cheering one another on in prayer, always pressing forward together for the Kingdom of God. We are on the same team, with the same mission: to know Christ and make Him known!
As we lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s also focus on lifting up our military this month, and throughout the year. Here are a few prayer prompts to get you started:
- Pray for our military members to view one another as being ‘on the same team’ working together with various skills and tools to accomplish their goals, knowing that every branch, specialty, and rank is important to the completion of each mission.
- Pray for military families to experience oneness from the Lord, for husbands and wives to value one another for all they pour out in the workplace, at home, and even when they are in the field or underway.
- Pray for our military members to be equipped with excellent training to fulfill their responsibilities, excellent tools to execute their missions, and excellent resources to flourish spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Would you please join in prayer?
Lord, You are high and lifted up! Your plans are perfect, and I trust Your designs for my life are to bring my ultimate growth and flourishing in You and through You.
Lord, as I step into November, I lift up our men and women in uniform, and the families that sacrifice alongside them. I pray that our military members would see that the role they play is important and that their work is meaningful. Pour out Your love on and through military families, that each spouse would be honored and cherished as they serve the military, serve their family, and serve one another. Thank You for the many illustrations You give us, in scripture and in our day to day life, about the power of oneness! Lord, I know I am one of ONE. Remove any lies or comparisons from my heart and mind. I want to be pure before You, knowing who I am and whose I am, always fulfilling the good works You have prepared for me. As I walk in oneness with fellow believers, make me an encouragement to brothers and sisters in Christ, and a Gospel light to those who don’t yet know You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!
Peace and blessings,
Amy Parks
Communications Director
