n. pl. u·ni·ties
1. The state or quality of being one; singleness.
2. The state or quality of being in accord; harmony.
Harmony, being in one with each other. Working together for the common good of all, this is what we try to 'train' the children. Unity, united, together, working as one. The church is many parts, many people, working for the good of all.
A simple example in our Keyboards for Christ Music Program: We use music two notes played together to show a child how two keys so different sound in harmony, and how two keys played together can sound bad, our of harmony with each other in relation to Unity.
Click here to see the UNITY exercise.
Difference is OK in certain matters...but remeber that children learn by our examples!
It is all right to have differences of opinion on the non-essential matters like worship styles or days, pre-trib rapture, post-trib rapture, Arminianism, Calvinism, etc. Whether you believe one or the other, do not affect salvation. Yet far too many Christians use these non-essential differences as justification for division and sometimes even insight anger. When this occurs, the love of God in our hearts is sacrificed to our pride. Instead of saying to one another, "I am right and you are wrong," we should be saying something like, "It is certainly possible that you are correct. Now, let's work together to glorify God and expand His kingdom." Perhaps this is too simplistic, but at least it displays an attitude of humility that helps to bring unity. It is the devil that wants us to fall into the self abuse of division and bickering. This is what the world teaches and we must 'train' children in the way of God.
Jesus said that the world would know that we were His disciples by the love that we have for one another (John 13:35). In Col 3:14 it says that love is the perfect bond of unity. We must 'train' our children about the promises of God as they grow into adults. We must show children it is ok to disagree, but not as the world looks at such. To look at things through the heart, before action, and to wait upon God and His time not to act in a fast responsive way of the world. We need to look at our own hearts and our own minds and compare them to Jesus and the Scripture. Where ever the two are not an agreement, it is we who need to change. We need to pray that the Lord would provide opportunities to work with other Christians across denominational lines. We need to recognize that we have differences of opinions and worship styles and that that is okay. But we need to lift each other up and be united in Christ, in this our examples children will see...the difference between Christians and the World that they live in. One can dissagree on certain things but still be UNITED.
