I recently heard a preacher say, “The glory of God is to be fully alive!” Fully alive is what we all want. Not just “getting by” or “surviving,” but “fully alive!” What a vibrant picture.

One of the many aspects of God’s glory is believers living in unity. In Jesus’ prayer in John 17, we see that Jesus passes the glory that the Father gave him on to us so that we may be one, even as Jesus and the Father are one. This oneness with the Father should be expressed in our unity. Yet, so often relationships among believers are fractured, which leaves frayed, frustrated lives that certainly do not feel fully alive.

Unity among believers is important “so that the world may know God loves them.” How will the world know? Because that love will be shown through our lives by the power of his Spirit in us.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).

When we declare, “Yours is the glory,” we align ourselves with a different standard than the world has. We reveal his glory through the unity and demonstration of love a watching world will see. God calls us to do our part by depending on his Spirit to fill us with his love and a desire to live in unity.

Being “fully alive” is having God’s love flowing through us, and as we come together in unity we give him the glory he rightly deserves.

Dear Father in Heaven, it’s a noisy, hurting world out there. Living in your glory and in oneness with Jesus is so key to unity in our relationships and peace in our world. Please reveal your glory in and through me as I seek to bring love and unity more fully into my circle of influence. I ask this in the strong name of Jesus, amen.

Throughout this Day: Ask God to reveal to your heart any relationship that he wants you to take a fresh stand in by aligning yourself with his glory. Ask for the power of His Holy Spirit to empower you with a demonstration of unity and love, that the world may know he loves them.



Tags: Daily Devotional John 17
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