Scripture: The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them as you loved me. (John 17:22-23)
Our unity is a witness to the world that God loves us the way that he loves Jesus. Indeed, the church is meant to be a new society, a new community in which our love for one another makes us distinct from the world. But we are often divided—over politics, theology, forms of worship, race, and more. Much (not all) of the division is driven by selfishness and self-centeredness; we choose our own preferences without much consideration for what it will do to our witness to the world.
Prayer: Lord, I don’t want to focus so much on myself anymore. I work so hard to make choices that will make me happy, chasing things I like, even spending a bunch of time thinking about what I “really want.” Lord, I repent of my selfish ways. I pray that I might have joy in knowing you and joy in knowing that you have written my name in the book of life. Help me focus on you, your kingdom, and my part in witnessing to the glory of Christ that he has so graciously shared with me.