Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
The phrase harmony in the church just feels like a release and a relief. Before we go too deep into that, though, let's just look at the word "harmony" and see why it's important.
Harmony in Musical Terms
If you're thinking in musical terms, there can be times where there are different notes that are being played or different people singing at different levels and different volumes, and maybe even different notes that they are trying to communicate.
When you're singing at different volumes, at different notes, and different intonations, it might not necessarily go together very well. Especially when you have different instruments that are trying to play a song.
The beautiful thing is, when everything comes together in unity, and then it creates harmony, which means the different notes at different volumes, different tones—they come together, and though different, create something beautiful as an output.
By Themselves, Different Things
By themselves, they were sort of scattered, doing different things at different times, in different moments. But when they all come together, even with all their differences, their unified reality makes something so sweet to the ears that it brings a warmth to our heart and a smile to our face.
Whether you know it or not, one of the things you probably love about the music you like is harmony. Harmony is when things work together in rhythm and unity.
The Church as Harmony
With that in mind, think about that as a description of God's Church—the people of God, the family of faith, with all of its differences and backgrounds and upbringings, different ethnicities, different economic standings. All of us with experiences that have varied across the board.
The Bible says there is one Lord, one faith. There is one salvation through Jesus Christ.
Salvation Available to All
The most amazing thing in the whole world is that salvation is available to all of humankind.
Well, if that's the case—that we all find faith and salvation in the same Christ—that means those of us from varying and completely different backgrounds unify around one name: Jesus.
When Different Comes Together
When that happens, those that are varied in tone and intention, and all of the different backgrounds that by themselves are separate and distinctive, come together. It's when they work and live and express life together in harmony that things become beautiful.
God's Strong Feelings About Unity
It's interesting because God clearly has strong feelings about unity all throughout the Bible. One of the things that we see is in Psalm chapter 133. There's an endorsement of this writing, this poem, that says: "How good and beautiful when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity."
This is where it says: "The Lord commands a blessing."
When there's unity, something beautiful takes place, and it brings glory and honor to God.
The Danger of Disunity
He also, all throughout the Scriptures, talks about the danger of disunity. When God's family, when God's Church, aren't together in harmony, it puts out a sound that's rough on the world's ears, and the world goes, what is this?
When the Church Is in Unity
When the Church is together in unity and harmony, the watching world goes, I don't know what that sweet music is, but I want some more of that.
Are You Contributing to Harmony?
Today, let's think about: Are we contributing to the harmony and the beauty of God's family, or are we helping to contribute to some of the sounds that are hard to hear on the ears of a watching world?
Let's ask God to help us to see how we can be a part of His harmony in God's Church today.
