I wanted to talk about this topic, because it has been on my mind and in my heart for a long time.

As Christians we are all trying to eventually achieve the state of Unity with God. After all, a "kingdom divided cannot stand". But what exactly is this Unity with God? How do we as Christians come into a state of Unity? And how do we know if we have achieved this state or not?

Many of us Christians value our individuality. We value the power behind being able to stand up for ourselves, to have our own thoughts, to be our own person. Is this Unity? Is this how we reach the level of being like Jesus? As Christians, our goal is to become like Jesus, right? We all know that Jesus had a "God like" quality, even non-Christians know this.

What made Jesus so special? I believe that it was that he had the ability to look at something and know everything about it. He could see things we could not see. How did He do this? By having complete unity with everything around Him.

As Christians we wish to be more like Jesus. But my major question is this: Are unity and individuality really compatible? Is it possible for all Christians to become unified, yet still be individuals?

I guess we have to look at what defines individuality. This definition was found in my dictionary:

1. The quality or character of a particular person or thing that distinguishes them from others of the same kind, especially when strongly marked.
2. Separate existence

In the Thesaurus it says:

Individuality:

The need to assert our individuality, distinctiveness, distinction, uniqueness, originality, singularity, particularity, peculiarity, differentness, separateness.

I find that many people value their individuality, in fact, many might be lost without it, but is this really what God wants of us? Let us look at the definition for Unity now.

1. The state of being united, or joined as a whole.
2. Harmony or agreement between people or groups.
3. The state of forming a complete, appeasing whole.
4. A thing forming a complex whole: "They speak of the three parts as a unity."

My question is: How can anyone truly be unified if they are individualistic in nature? Individuality is the desire to separate ourselves from others, to be unique. But unity implies that we come together and be as one. So, can we truly have unity and individuality at the same time?

Jesus had unity. He had the ability to know everything. He was one with everything, and even told us in parables to be unified, as in the first quote I gave. I do not recall Jesus saying anything about us needing to keep our individuality.

If we are to be unified, what does this mean? How do we become unified? I believe it takes more than just setting aside our differences. I believe it will take a lot from us to be able to be unified as Jesus was. We need to be in prayer constantly, without ceasing. We need to get to the point that we feel His spirit, His power flowing through us constantly. This way we can see things from the spiritual realm and be able to do ALL the things that Jesus could do.

Amen.