2 CORINTHIANS 13:11 – “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

THEME OF THE DAY: A SLICE OF HEAVEN.  Is your church a “slice of heaven” every time you meet with your fellow sheep for worship, Bible study, and fellowship?  Is mine?  Are we contributing to a spiritually healthy, Christ-exalting, and edifying fellowship within the body of Christ?

Basically, what I am quizzing us about is our relationships with other Christians defined by today’s scripture.  Go ahead and read it again, and ponder if this is what we are seeing and experiencing with other believers regularly, even weekly – the spirit of rejoicing, seeking to maintain harmonious relationships, providing much needed comfort because we all hurt, living in unity even if we don’t agree on everything, and practicing peace evident by the lack of gossip, slander, judgmental spirits, loveless attitudes, and showing partiality in the body of Christ.  Yes, those environments are a slice of heaven and to be expected among God’s people.

As we live our walks with the Lord endeavoring to bring this slice of heaven into all our relationships, pay attention to how today’s scripture ends.  It does so with a promise.  If we are striving for such relationships God promises His Presence in the sweet power of His love and peace – the very things needed to maintain unity, deepen commitment to obey the “one another” commands, and to show the world the reality of the Lord Jesus. Remember what He said – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).  It will be our relationships with believers that prove to have the greatest impact for Christ in the world.  I don’t understand how that works, but the Lord said it would, and that should be good enough for us. A fitting conclusion for today’s devotion would be these words from the Apostle Paul, and Francis Schaeffer.

First, the Apostle Paul – “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

Now, one of the great giants of the faith in a previous generation, Francis Schaeffer, “Love, and the unity it attests to, is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father.”

May the Lord deepen our desire and move our wills to live putting the slice of heaven in all our relationships for His glory, the good of His people, and the furtherance of His Gospel.

PRAYER: Father, make me a blessing and encouragement in all my relationships with my fellow sheep.

REFLECTION:  Every Christian is to bring Christ into every conversation, attitude, action, and thought.